All I Need
by lizzieloo
Summary: Elena's life with her cruel uncle is far from perfect. How will the arrival of two mysterious brothers turn her world upside down? Will they be able to save her? Warning: some abuse
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Of course I don't own the Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.

**AN:** Just a few things you need to know before checking out the first chapter: I started on this story during the first season of the Vampire Diaries, so a lot of my planning was based during that time…so for this story Uncle John is just that,Elena's uncle. And I also made Jeremy older than Elena (he's not her little brother in this story). And even though I'm not sure it really needs it, I stuck with the M rating just in case...I think that's it for now. Thanks for giving it a chance. Hope you enjoy it!

**Chapter 1**

Elena froze at the sound of heavy boots trudging up the front porch. Her eyes widened in panic, staring at the unfinished pasta cooking on the stovetop.

_He's early. It won't be ready in time._

She heard him fumbling with his keys, before shoving the right one into the front door, the lock sliding free with a slight _click_.

_No, no, no. Just five more minutes. I just need five minutes._

The door creaked open as he stepped into the house.

Whirling toward the cabinet, she tugged the door open, grabbing the strainer. Setting it in the sink, she turned off the stove and dashed to the sink with the pot, wincing when some of the boiling water splashed over the side and onto her hands.

Ignoring the sudden pain, she drained the pasta, hoping it would be cooked enough. Picking up the jar of sauce she'd set on the counter earlier, she cursed as she fought to get the lid off.

She heard him set down his works things in the other room, before grabbing the newspaper from the coffee table.

_C'mon, c'mon…there!_

The lid twisted free and Elena dumped the contents into the pot, stirring the pasta and sauce together.

She heard his heavy tread shuffle in her direction, before it fell silent.

Elena froze, stiffening instinctively.

She closed her eyes, releasing a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

She was too late.

"Elena," his voice was eerily steady. The calm before the storm. "Why is dinner not ready?"

Elena hesitated briefly, before slowly spinning to face him.

"I'm sorry, Uncle John. It's almost ready. I didn't think you'd be home yet…" she trailed off lamely.

His eyes flashed, the only sign of the impending rage.

"You didn't think? See, that's your problem, Elena. You don't think," he spat, stepping toward her menacingly. "I work all day long, to make money to provide for you! So you can have a roof over your head. Food to eat. Clothes to wear. And all I ask, is that when I'm home from my long day, that there's a nice meal on the table. All I ask for! Is that so goddamn hard?"

Uncle John was screaming in her face by the end of it, spittle flying everywhere.

Elena's gaze dropped to the floor.

"No, sir," she whispered, praying he was done with his tirade for the moment. "It won't happen again."

She felt his glare boring into the top of her head.

But, thankfully, he stepped away from her.

"Good," he said, sounding somewhat satisfied for the moment. "Now I'm going back to the living room with the paper, and by the time I've read the headlines, my dinner better be on that table. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

Uncle John disappeared through the doorway, leaving Elena to waste several precious moments getting a hold of herself. Pulling a single plate out of the cabinet—she knew there was no way he'd let her eat dinner tonight—she dished him out a heaping serving and got out a slice of bread.

Quickly sneaking a few spoonfuls of pasta into her mouth—the only dinner she'd be getting now—she rushed to set the plate on the table before grabbing a beer from the fridge. Setting it all just right, she stood back against the wall.

A few seconds later Uncle John reemerged, ignoring her as he sat down and took a bite of the pasta.

Apparently satisfied, he finally acknowledged her.

"You know the drill, Elena. No dinner tonight. I don't reward screw-ups in this household. Get up to your room. I don't want to see or hear you again this evening, got that?"

Elena nodded before scampering up the stairs and to the safety of her room. She preferred not to see him again tonight, too. That feeling was completely mutual.

She'd have to sneak back to the kitchen to clean up after he'd gone to bed though. No sense in giving him something to yell at her for in the morning.

Collapsing onto her bed, her eyes wandered around her sparse room. Her bed, a dresser, and a desk and chair. A few books that she treasured. It hardly looked lived in. But it was her sanctuary.

Sliding across the mattress until her feet touched the floor, Elena crossed the room to pick up the framed photo of her family.

It had been three years since they had died in the car crash. Three years without her dad. Three years without her mom. Three years without her big brother.

Three years with Uncle John.

She gently traced their smiling faces through the glass, knowing that would be as close to touching them as she'd ever get.

They were gone.

And she was left behind with a monster.

She hadn't really even known Uncle John before he'd moved back to Mystic Falls after the accident. He had always kept his distance from the family. The funeral was only the second time she'd seen him in her life. And then she was told she had to pack up her things and move in with him. Family, and yet a complete stranger.

Of course she hadn't been allowed to keep hardly anything from before. Uncle John sold most of her family's possessions. She'd screamed and cried and pleaded with him to let her keep their things, but he had simply stared stonily at her and shoved her back in her room, locking the door from the outside.

She hadn't even noticed that the lock was reversed. She couldn't keep him out, but he could keep her in.

He'd left her in there all that day and well into the next.

That's when she realized what kind of person she'd been left with.

He rarely ever hit her, which was a plus she supposed. Usually it was just a harsh shove, an occasional object thrown in her direction. A lot of verbal abuse, a lot of missed meals, and a lot of times spent locked in her room.

He'd even nailed her window shut to ensure she stayed put during her lock-ins.

Her best friend Bonnie knew about what happened at home, mostly because she eventually guessed it, but she was sworn to secrecy. Uncle John was a cop, so there'd be no help from the police. And he was her only living relative—if she told and was removed from his home, she'd only be put into the system. Then who knows where she'd end up? She'd heard far too many foster horror stories to realize she probably had it better off now than she would in the system.

It was just two more years. Two years, and then she could escape. Get a scholarship, and get the hell away from Uncle John. Five years until she'd be free of Uncle John. Five years until she'd gain control of what her parents had left her. Then she'd be completely free.

But for now, she just had to take it one day at a time.

Opening the middle dresser drawer, she slipped her hands under the clothes until they found the leather bound journal.

Uncle John rarely entered her room, but she didn't want to take any chances of him finding it.

It was her only escape.

Making sure her door was shut tight, she leaned back against her pillow and opened the journal to the first blank page.

_ School starts tomorrow. Junior year. Another year of classes, of homework, of tests. Most of my classmates are probably dreading tomorrow. But for me, school means seven hours of time I get to spend away from Uncle John, away from this house. Time I actually get to spend with Bonnie._

_ I can't wait._

_ And I can't help but feel as though something is going to change. I don't know if for the good, or the bad. I've just been having those tingles down by spine, like something is waiting for me just over the horizon. That change is coming._

_ And whatever it is, I think I'm ready for it._

* * *

><p>Rushing downstairs, Elena was relieved to see that Uncle John had already left for the day.<p>

Grabbing the ten dollar bill he'd left on the table—her only lunch money for the week so she'd have use it wisely—and the banana he had left beside the money, Elena grabbed her backpack and headed out the door.

She was running a bit late this morning, and would have to practically jog to get to school on time.

Elena had barely gone a block when a dark blue car pulled up beside her.

She grinned as the window rolled down to reveal the pretty face of her best friend.

"Hey Elena, get in."

She didn't have to be told twice.

Walking around the front of the car, Elena slid into the passenger seat.

"Thanks, Bonnie," she greeted, grateful. "Nice car! When'd you get it?"

"A few days ago. I think my parents are tired of chauffeuring me around and realized now that I can legally drive, they don't have to. Hence the car."

"Not a bad deal at all."

"Nope, it worked out perfectly for me! So you be expecting rides everyday from now on."

"I don't think I can argue with that."

Bonnie fell silent for a moment, a worried expression on her face.

"So how have things been?"

Elena sighed, not really wanting to talk about it. She'd seen Bonnie when she could this summer—she'd sneak out or Bonnie would come over when Elena knew Uncle John would be at work for a long period. But it was hardly enough.

"Alright I guess. Same old, same old."

"Elena…"

"It's fine, Bonnie. I'm fine. I've got it under control."

Bonnie gave her a look that said she thought otherwise.

"It's just for two more years. I can handle that. My time's more than halfway over until I'm free," she said, trying to sound cheerful. "Can we talk about something else?"

Bonnie still looked doubtful, but let the subject drop.

"So which boy do you think Caroline's going to pounce on during the first day of school?"

* * *

><p>Bonnie and Elena parted ways to head to their homerooms to get their schedules, hoping they'd have at least some classes together.<p>

Walking down the hallway, Elena watched the first day antics of her classmates. Friends greeted each other, boys checked out girls, girls flirted with boys.

And Elena was ignored.

_It's easier this way_, she reminded herself. It makes life simpler, less complicated.

She doesn't have to explain anything to anyone.

It's hard enough to be able to see just Bonnie outside of school, and she's someone who actually understands why. Try explaining to anyone else that she's grounded on a daily basis. That she can't go to the mall. That she can't go grab a bite to eat. That she can't go to the party on Friday.

People would ask questions, questions that Elena wouldn't be able to answer.

Yes, being ignored made things easier.

Elena watched as Caroline Forbes, the queen bee of the school, checked her hair and makeup in the mirror of her locker. She was surrounded by her followers, each girl vying for Caroline's attention.

That was one girl Elena was glad to be ignored by.

Turning the corner, Elena slammed into a hard body, instantly knocking the breath out of her.

Elena felt herself start to fall backwards, knocked off balance by the solid wall.

But two strong arms reached out and circled her waist, stopping the downward movement.

Elena's startled eyes blinked, before sliding upwards to find out who was both her foe and savior.

Her chocolate orbs took in muscular arms, a broad chest and shoulders, a strong jaw line, full lips and piercing green eyes.

Instantly transfixed by those eyes, Elena lost complete awareness of her surroundings. Only those sparkling eyes seemed to exist.

A deep voice broke the trance, helping to clear her suddenly befuddled mind.

"Are you okay?"

Elena managed to nod, reminding herself to breathe, as the handsome stranger pulled her upright, ensuring she was steady on her feet before his hands slipped from her waist.

Was it just her, or did his hands seem to linger a bit longer than necessary before he had released her?

"Um, thanks," she mumbled, ducking her head as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, mostly just to give her hands something to do. Why was she suddenly so nervous and awkward?

"No problem. It was my fault anyways."

Elena managed to raise her eyes to his, offering a tentative smile, which he returned.

"I'm Stefan. Stefan Salvatore," he said, offering his hand in greeting.

"Elena Gilbert," she said, placing her much smaller hand in his. Her eyes widened at the sudden jolt that shot through her veins the moment they touched.

She noticed his eyes had widened slightly as well.

Dismissing whatever that was, she tugged her hand back slightly until he finally released his hold.

"Are you new here?" Elena didn't think she'd ever seen him before. And Mystic Falls was a pretty small town.

"Yes, I actually just moved here with my brother. I guess you can tell?"

"I've pretty much known everyone in this school since first grade, so the new faces are fairly easy to pick out of the crowd," she teased, smiling up at him.

He chuckled softly as their gazes locked again.

Neither seemed the least bit aware of the bustling students around them.

They might have stood there all day, had another boy not bumped into Stefan as he passed by on his way to class.

Suddenly embarrassed, Elena started fiddling with the notebook in her hand.

"Um, right," Stefan ran a hand through his hair. "So, maybe you can help me, Elena. I'm looking for Room 122."

Elena's eyes brightened.

"That's where I'm heading, too."

Stefan's smile sent a tingle through Elena's body.

"May I walk with you then, Elena?"

"Of course. It's actually back that way," she said, pointing in the direction he had come from.

Stefan smiled sheepishly as they took off down the hall together.

Neither noticed the blonde who had overheard the entire conversation, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

* * *

><p>Well that's it for the first chapter — hope you liked it so far!<p>

Thanks for reading!

Lizzieloo


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Of course I don't own the Vampire Diaries, or any of its characters.

**AN:** Thanks so much for checking my story out and for your reviews! It really is awesome when you get feedback on what you've written. Hope you enjoy the next chapter as well. And without further ado, onto….

**Chapter 2**

Settling into seats at the back of their homeroom, Elena launched into questions, wanting to know more about this mysterious stranger.

"So where did you and your brother move from?"

"Washington. What about you? Have you always lived in Mystic Falls?"

Elena nodded her head. "My family has lived here for generations."

"Oh wow. That's pretty cool."

"Yeah, I guess it is." Elena tucked her lower lip between her teeth. "Um, so can I ask why you moved here? You don't have to answer if you don't want to," she rushed out, hoping she didn't sound too nosey.

Stefan chuckled. "No, there's no big secret or anything. We just needed a change of pace, so we came to live with our uncle."

Elena's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Who's your uncle?" Before he could reply though, she answered her own question. "Oh wait, Zach Salvatore, right? I knew your name sounded familiar."

Stefan nodded. "Yes, that's Uncle Zach."

"I've only seen him around a few times, but he seems nice."

"Yeah, he's pretty great. He does kind of keep to himself though. So what about your family?"

Elena suddenly found her desktop fascinating. "I live with my uncle, too," she said softly. "My parents and brother died a few years ago."

Glancing up, she was surprised at how soft and warm his eyes had become, a sad smile on his perfect lips. "I'm so sorry, Elena. That's awful." His hand moved from his lap to briefly hover in the air before him, as if to reach out and comfort her, before it changed direction and he shoved it through his dark locks instead.

"I still miss them all of the time. For months after it happened, I didn't know how I got through each day, how I would make it through the next. But I did. And each day it got a little better, and it hurt a little less. But I always miss them."

A rogue tear gathered in the corner of her eye, but she swiped it away quickly, before it could trail down her cheek. What was it about this guy that made her pour her heart out? The only person she had ever talked about her family's death was Bonnie. And here she was, ten minutes into meeting Stefan and dumping all of her issues on him.

"Sorry," she mumbled lamely, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Hey don't be," he said gently. "It's good to talk about things. And Elena, I'll always be here to listen."

And the weird thing was, she knew he truly meant it.

Seriously, where had he come from?

"So you said you live with your uncle then?" Stefan said, changing the subject, for which Elena was grateful. She didn't want to break down into tears on the first day of school.

"Yes."

"And how is that?"

Never in her life had Elena wanted to tell someone the truth more than in this moment. There was something about Stefan, something that made her want to share everything. She didn't want to lie to him.

But that would be foolish.

"He's fine. We're not really close."

"That must be difficult."

He had no idea.

"It's okay for now. I'm just looking forward to college."

"Oh yeah? Where do you want to go?"

Elena was thankful he'd latched onto that subject instead of asking more questions about her uncle. It was a much safer topic.

"Well, I'd really love to go to Duke…"

* * *

><p>Elena was ecstatic to learn she had History and English with Stefan. After homeroom, they were able to walk to History together, and continue their game of Twenty Questions.<p>

"Damon is, well, Damon. He's hard to describe. If I try, he's just going to sound like a self-centered, jackass, playboy, which is he, but he does run a bit deeper when he wants to. He tries to act like he doesn't care about anyone or anything, and he doesn't get close to very many people, but when he does, he's got your back. He's a good friend—and brother—to have, as long as you don't piss him off."

Stefan chuckled as if remembering some time when he got on Damon's bad side.

"He sounds…interesting."

Stefan laughed again, as they entered the classroom, again finding two seats in the back.

"Yeah, he's one of a kind, that's for sure."

"You care about him though. A lot. I can tell."

Stefan's eyes slid to the front of the room, drifting out of focus as he reminisced.

"We've gone through some pretty tough times in the past, and he's helped get me through some of the darkest moments, and vice versa. We don't get along all of the time, but we are brothers, through and through."

Elena smiled as Stefan swung his gaze back to her.

"That sounds nice."

"It is."

Elena was so lost in Stefan's gentle eyes, that she actually jumped slightly when the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class.

Mr. Saltzman called the class to order and started discussing the syllabus, not affording Elena and Stefan a chance to talk again for the rest of the period.

* * *

><p>Elena agreed to meet up with Stefan for lunch, before they parted ways for their next class.<p>

Ugh, math.

Not Elena's strongest subject.

But she was more than happy to find Bonnie sitting in the classroom. Elena sat beside her and they compared schedules, glad to find they at least had gym together too.

"So how was your last class?" Elena asked.

"It was okay. I sat next to Matt."

Matt was the captain of the football team and on again off again boyfriend of Caroline. But despite these characteristics that should signal he's a jerk, he was miraculously the opposite. Matt was one of the good ones.

Matt, Elena and Bonnie used to be best friends, before the accident that is. And as with most mothers, Matt and Elena's moms were envisioning their children getting married one day. They had probably already picked out wedding colors.

But after her parents died, Elena withdrew into herself and never really emerged again. Matt tried to rekindle their friendship, but it wasn't the same, and he eventually gave up trying. And once Uncle John came into the picture, Elena realized it was better this way. She even tried to keep Bonnie at a distance, but that girl was too stubborn. She wormed her way back into Elena's life, and now that she knew what John was really like, their bond was solidified.

And although Matt was one of the most popular guys in school, he was still the nicest person. Bonnie and Elena didn't really have any other friends at school, but Matt was always kind to them, and talked with them when he did see them.

"How is Matt?" Elena asked, having been out of the loop since being under lockdown all summer.

"He and Caroline broke up at the beginning of the summer. He's doing good though, looking into colleges. Maybe Duke." Bonnie said, giving Elena a meaningful look since she knew that's where Elena wanted to go too. "He asked about you," she said softly, almost as an afterthought.

Elena smiled gently. "What'd you say?"

"That you were okay. That some days were better than others. I think he wants to try to be your friend again."

Bonnie shot her another meaningful look. She had always held the belief that Matt was completely in love with Elena, but if they weren't even friends, there was no way they would ever be more.

Elena sighed. "You know it has to be this way, Bonnie. It's easier for everyone."

"Is it really, Elena? Is it really easier for you?"

Elena was about to launch into the explanation she pulled out every time Bonnie questioned what she was doing.

But before she could open her mouth, a shadow fell across her desk.

Both girls slowly raised their gazes to find Caroline Forbes towering above them.

"Just who were you talking to earlier, Elena?" She snapped out.

Elena's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play stupid with me! Tall, dark and handsome. Ring any bells?"

Elena tried not to crack a smile at Caroline's blatant jealousy.

"I'm still not sure who you're talking about?" Elena lied, trying to look confused.

Caroline's eyes narrowed as she leaned forward, placing her hands on Elena's desk.

"Look, _Elena_," she spit out her name as if it were a disease. "Everyone knows that I get first dibs on new guys, especially ones as hot as him. So back off. There's no way you have a chance anyways, so stop throwing yourself at him. It's pathetic, really. He belongs with people like me, not someone like you." Caroline spat, crinkling her nose as if she smelled something foul.

Elena's mouth fell open, shocked by Caroline's sudden attack.

But Bonnie was ready for it. Standing up, she met Caroline toe for toe.

"How dare you, Caroline. I never realized you were such a bitch. If you think that—"

"Ms. Forbes. Ms. Bennett. Have a seat," Mr. Camden's voice rang out.

Bonnie continued to glare at Caroline, daring her to say another word. Caroline finally settled for sending one last nasty look toward Elena, before spinning away and strutting back to her desk.

Bonnie sank back into her seat, leaning over to whisper.

"Okay, I know you know what she's talking about. And I know you're going to tell me."

"Ms. Bennett, do you have something you'd like to share?" Mr. Camden raised his eyebrow as he stared in their direction.

"No, sir."

Bonnie rolled her eyes dramatically the moment he looked away, before they book opened their spirals and began taking notes.

But Elena knew her best friend would grill her about it the second class was over. And now Bonnie would have an entire hour to come up with questions.

* * *

><p>The bell rang, signaling the end of the period. Every student in the class grabbed their things and rushed out the door. Everyone but Elena and Bonnie, that is.<p>

"Okay. Spill."

Elena sighed as she scooped up her belongings and slid them into her bag.

"There's nothing really _to_ spill. I met a new student and we had homeroom and history together. His name's Stefan. We talked. That's about it."

"Well it must have been something to get Caroline all flustered and upset. And what kind of name is Stefan anyways? Sounds old. Must be a family name or something."

They both stood up and headed out the door, merging into the busy hallway.

"I think he might sit with us at lunch, if that's okay?"

Bonnie gave Elena a knowing look. "Well that was fast."

Elena nudged Bonnie with her shoulder. "Oh, shut up. It's hard being the new student, especially in a school so small where everyone's known each other forever. I'm just being nice."

"Guess I'll just have to see for myself at lunch. But you better watch out for Caroline in the meantime."

They parted ways at the hallway, and Elena headed toward the science wing.

She tried to squelch the anticipation she felt for lunch though.

* * *

><p>Caroline was unfortunately in her Biology class too, but other than a few glares, she didn't have a chance to approach Elena again.<p>

Photography flew by as well, and pretty soon Elena found herself hurrying toward the cafeteria. She'd never been so excited for lunch before.

Elena entered through the double doors, trying to spot both Bonnie and Stefan in the bustling crowd.

She spotted Bonnie first, who waved at her from a table across the room. Weaving her way through the students, she plopped down in the seat beside her.

"So where's this mystery man?" Bonnie teased.

Elena scanned the room. "I don't know. I haven't seen—oh wait, there he is."

Stefan had just strolled into the room…followed by Caroline Forbes. Caroline was obviously trying to keep up with him, talking a mile a minute as she attempted to capture his attention. But her efforts seemed to be in vain. He did nod occasionally to whatever she was saying, but his eyes were focused straight ahead. He obviously didn't want to speak with her, but didn't want to be rude at the same time.

Their eyes suddenly locked from across the room and he smiled.

Elena watched as Stefan suddenly stopped walking, and turned to face Caroline. He spoke briefly with her, and Elena saw Caroline's hopeful expression turn a bit crestfallen, before she slapped on a smile and walked away, heading toward her usual table.

Stefan immediately made a beeline for where the two girls were seated.

"May I sit with you guys?" He asked once he reached them, his eyes flickering to Bonnie briefly before settling on Elena. He was asking for permission to join them.

"Of course, Stefan."

Once he was seated, Elena introduced the two.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bonnie."

"You too, Stefan."

A slight pause fell over the group.

"Bonnie and I were going to go grab some food. Do you want to come?"

Stefan reached into his bag, pulling out a sack lunch. "I actually brought my own today. First day of school, didn't know what the food was like…"

Elena giggled. "Well, you're not missing anything. We'll be right back."

The second Bonnie and Elena were out of earshot, Bonnie grabbed hold of Elena's arm, pulling her closer.

"Damn, no wonder Caroline was having a hissy fit earlier. That boy is _gorgeous_."

Elena rolled her eyes playfully, but silently agreed. He was definitely the most handsome guy she'd ever seen, especially in Mystic Falls.

They fell in line behind the other students. Bonnie grabbed a hamburger and fries while Elena calculated just how far ten dollars would get her this week. Deciding to ignore her hunger today, she settled on just a bottle of water and an apple.

Bonnie eyed her choices knowingly.

"I know that's not all you're eating today."

"It's fine, I'm not that hungry. Really."

Bonnie gave her another pointed look, before grabbing another order of burger and fries and moving down the line to pay before Elena could protest. Bonnie knew that Elena's uncle hardly ever gave her enough money for lunch. Hell, he hardly ever let her eat, and you could tell. Elena was practically skin and bones.

"You're too skinny, Elena."

Elena rolled her eyes again, but thanked Bonnie. What would she do without her best friend?

Before they turned to head back to the table, Bonnie slid the extra meal onto Elena's tray.

Elena gave her a grateful look, before they started heading back to the table Stefan was sitting at.

Bonnie gave an appreciative noise as she looked him over again, before leaning toward Elena, her expression eager. "Please tell me he has a brother?"

* * *

><p>Hope you enjoyed Chapter 2! I know it might seem to be starting off a little slow while I'm laying out all the background info and character stories and whatnot, but bear with me because I promise it will pick up soon!<p>

Thanks so much for reading!

Lizzieloo


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Of course I don't own the Vampire Diaries, or any of its characters.

**AN:** Thanks so much for all of your encouraging reviews! I'm glad yall are enjoying the story so far. Someone had a good question regarding whether Stefan and Damon are vampires in this story (and I realized I haven't addressed that yet!), but yes, they are vamps in this one. And now, without further ado, my holiday present to you guys – a longer chapter!

**Chapter 3**

"So how long have you known Bonnie?" Stefan asked as they walked to English together. He and Bonnie had gotten along well during lunch, and it almost seemed as if he was the missing part of their little group.

"For forever really. Our moms were best friends in high school and remained friends after they each got married. I'm pretty sure they even planned their pregnancies together, so Bonnie and I could grow up together and become friends. And it worked."

Stefan smiled. "Wow, that is something."

"Yeah, Bonnie's been my best friend for as long as I can remember. She's been there for me through…everything. Do…do you have anyone like that?"

Stefan fell silent for a moment, contemplating.

"I guess Damon would be that person for me. We may not get along all of the time, but he understands me the best. When times are rough, he gets what I'm going through and vice versa. We don't see eye to eye on most everything, but…" He trailed off, searching for the words.

"It's still nice to have that person in your life, the one who truly gets you." Elena said, trying to finish his thought.

"Exactly."

They paused in front of the classroom, both trying to make the moment last as long as possible.

Stefan shook his head slightly, a disbelieving smile playing upon his lips.

"How is it we just met a few hours ago, Elena? I feel as though I've known you my entire life."

A pretty blush dusted Elena's cheeks.

"I know what you mean. I can talk to you like I've known you forever."

Stefan's emerald eyes sparkled as they locked with Elena's warm chocolate orbs.

He opened his mouth to say something else, when they were rudely shoved apart.

"Excuse me," Caroline snapped out as she squeezed between them to enter the classroom. It was clearly done on purpose, since they weren't even blocking the doorway.

Elena sighed while Stefan gave her a rueful smile.

It figures she'd be in this class with them.

The moment shattered, Stefan signaled for Elena to enter the room first, while he followed behind.

Elena was more than happy to see that two seats were still available in the back row.

* * *

><p>"You seriously need to watch out for Caroline," Bonnie whispered as they sat on the bleachers for gym. "If looks could kill…"<p>

Elena peeked over her right shoulder and saw exactly what Bonnie meant.

Caroline was currently glaring daggers at Elena from a few rows up.

Elena sighed for the hundredth time that day. Things with Caroline were already bad enough, without throwing Stefan in the mix. Caroline had taken an instant dislike to Elena from day one. A lot of it probably had to do with Matt—the fact that they used to be best friends and if Bonnie thought he was in love with her, Caroline, in her jealous tendencies, probably thought so, too. She had already made it her life's mission to ensure Elena's time in high school was miserable. And now she had yet another reason to do so.

"She's barely talked to Stefan all day and she thinks she has some sort of claim on him? He actually told me that she creeped him out a bit. How every time he's turned around today, she always seemed to be hovering nearby, trying to get him to notice her. Maybe I should tell her that."

"Um, if you value living, probably not."

Elena only half listened while Coach Petersen ran through the rules for gym and what all they'd be doing over the semester. Pretty soon, they were given free time for the rest of the period.

Elena and Bonnie chatted quietly with one another, and tried really hard to ignore Caroline and her gaggle of girls, especially when they purposely heard their names mentioned loudly several times during the conversation.

Bonnie rolled her eyes at their childish antics while Elena tried to not listen in on what new rumors Caroline was spreading about her.

Soon enough the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. While most kids made a mad dash to leave the imprisonment they felt school was, Elena dragged her feet, knowing she would be heading to her true prison.

Bonnie gave her a sad smile, understanding why she was slowly leaving the gym, stalling for precious time.

"What time does he get home?"

"Not until six today."

"Do you want to come over for a little while? Mom would love to see you."

Elena's lips tilted into a full smile, her eyes bright at the prospect of not going home just yet. She just needed to be home in plenty of time to make dinner, but that would give her about an hour at Bonnies.

"Do you think she made those delicious cookies?"

"Please, Elena. It's the first day of school. She probably made three dozen."

* * *

><p>One pleasant hour at Bonnie's house and Elena had all but forgotten about her problems at home. Bonnie's mom had been overjoyed to see her again—it had been awhile—and had declared that she was too skinny, shoving five cookies in her direction and watching like a hawk to make sure she ate every one of them.<p>

But all good things must come to an end, and after saying goodbye, and promising to try to come by more often, Bonnie was dropping Elena off at her house.

"Are you sure you're going to be fine?" Bonnie asked for the third time, still looking worried.

"Yes, Bonnie. I can handle it."

"But you shouldn't _have_ to 'handle it.'"

"It'll be fine, Bonnie. There's nothing—oh no."

Horror washed over Elena. There, parked in the driveway, was Uncle John's car.

"What?" Bonnie asked, confused. She followed Elena's gaze, instantly seeing the problem. Her mouth formed an "o" but no words surfaced.

"What's he doing home? He's not supposed to be here. Oh no, no, no. This is not good." Elena rambled on, her heart racing. Very few times had Uncle John caught her when she was not where she was supposed to be. And those few times were some of Elena's darkest days.

Bonnie pulled over a few houses down from Elena's, far enough to stay out of sight if her uncle might be watching from the window.

"Why don't you just stay over at my place tonight," Bonnie pleaded. "You can borrow some clothes and maybe he'll cool off—"

Elena took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.

"Thanks for the offer, Bonnie, but that'll just make things worse. He won't cool down—it'll just give him more time to get riled up. No, I just need to suck it up and get inside."

"I'm not leaving you here, Elena." Bonnie replied stubbornly.

Elena offered the best smile she could muster. "It'll be fine, Bonnie. Thanks for everything. I'll see you tomorrow."

Before Bonnie could protest again, Elena hopped out of the car and headed down the sidewalk to her house. Her mind was reeling, ready to come up with some explanation as to where she had been.

Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed Bonnie's car hadn't moved, and her best friend was staring at her with worried eyes.

Waving goodbye with a strained grin, she turned her eyes forward and took slow steps, each one leading to her own personal hell.

The second she stepped onto the porch, the front door swung open. Uncle John stood in the opening, his eyes narrowed to slits.

Grabbing a hold of her jacket, he yanked her through the doorway, slamming the door shut behind them.

He shoved her against the door, his iron fists curled tightly around her arms, making her wince. He gave her a good shake, causing her head to bounce off the door twice.

"Just where the hell were you?"

"At school."

His hands tightened even more on her delicate flesh. She knew it was going to leave bruises.

"And just what were you doing there for so long?"

"I was at the library. We already have a paper in history and I was doing some research."

Uncle John released one arm, only for his hand to find purchase in her long dark hair. Twisting her locks around his palm, he pulled sharply, causing her to cry out at the sudden pain. Tears filled her eyes, but she was determined to not let them slide down her cheeks. Instead, she managed to meet Uncle John's steely gaze, despite the awkward position her head was being forced into.

Uncle John stared at her for several long moments, as if he were waiting for her nose to expand to see if she was lying. Elena held his gaze, trying to keep from crying despite the pain shooting through her scalp. She would not give him that satisfaction.

Finally, seemingly satisfied, he gave one more sharp pull on her hair and released Elena, shoving her harshly toward the kitchen.

"Dinner still better be on the table by six."

* * *

><p>The rest of the week flew by surprisingly fast. Stefan became a regular fixture at Bonnie and Elena's table for lunch, and Elena had hardly seen Uncle John for the next several days after Monday's incident. All in all it had been a nice week, other than dealing with Caroline's snide remarks.<p>

As the final bell rang on Friday, signaling the beginning of the weekend, Elena's heart hung heavy. Weekends were usually the worst. Uncle John liked to drink—a lot—which usually didn't bode well for Elena. Plus, he often had weekends off and hung around the house – getting drunk. Or if he did work, his schedule was so sporadic Elena never knew when to expect him. In short terms, weekends meant being trapped in the house for two whole days with the devil.

Lost in her musings, Elena almost missed her name being called out from somewhere down the crowded hallway.

Spinning around, Elena smiled when she saw it was Stefan.

He fell into step beside her as they walked toward the doors that led outside.

"So what are you doing this weekend?"

"Oh, you know, real fun stuff. Homework, chores, cleaning. Good times."

Stefan chuckled at her sarcasm. "Well, I was wondering if you might show me that bookstore you were telling me about, the one with all of the old editions. It sounded really cool."

Elena's sudden excitement that Stefan wanted to hang out with her was instantly crushed by the fact that she couldn't leave the house this weekend. Or any weekend for her foreseeable future.

"I really wish I could, Stefan. But this weekend's just not good. I'm so sorry." She didn't even have to pretend to be contrite – she really was.

A crestfallen expression crossed his handsome features, before he offered a gentle smile.

"It's okay, Elena. Maybe some other time."

Elena nodded her head, but knew it wasn't likely.

Spotting Bonnie across the parking lot, Elena turned to smile at Stefan.

"Well have a good weekend, Stefan. See you Monday."

"Yeah, you too."

The further Elena walked from Stefan, the more depressed she felt. She'd never be able to hang out with him on the weekends, and he'd never know why. Maybe things would be easier if they weren't friends at all. No matter how careful she was, this probably wouldn't end well.

Glancing over her shoulder, she was surprised to see Stefan standing in the same spot, watching her. He raised a hand in goodbye, before turning away to head to his car.

She smiled softly to herself as warmth instantly flooded that cold, forgotten place within her that had formed the day she lost her family. Elena knew staying away from him would be impossible, no matter the consequences. She was already dreading not seeing him for two days.

Yup, she was in way too deep.

* * *

><p>The early morning light crept across Elena's pillow until it finally reached her face, warming her cheek. She stirred, rolling over to shield the sun from her eyes as she lounged in bed.<p>

Last night had been perfect. Uncle John had gone out after work and didn't come home until well after Elena was already in bed. She had been able to watch whatever she wanted on TV, eat whatever she wanted (well, within reason) and just spend the evening relaxing.

It had been wonderful. And rare.

A gentle smile crossed her lips. Perhaps last night had been an indicator of how the rest of the weekend would go.

Flipping over onto her back, Elena burrowed down into her covers, perfectly content to stay in bed all morning.

Her eyes drifted shut as she slowly fell back into the dreamworld.

"ELENA GILBERT! Get your ass down here this second!"

Elena's eyes snapped open, suddenly wide with panic. She shot up from the bed, her mind whirling, trying to figure out just what she had done. What had she forgotten to do last night?

Scrambling for the door, she threw it open as her heart hammered in her chest. Panic consumed her as she forced herself to move forward. She knew the longer she made Uncle John wait, the worse it would get.

Barreling down the hallway, she took the stairs two at a time and skidded into the living room.

Uncle John was standing in the middle of the carpet, his face red with anger as he glared at her.

"What the fuck is this?" He shouted as he pointed to a spot on the floor in front of him.

Elena's gaze followed his finger, and found a dark brown stain marring the white carpet.

Her eyes widened in alarm. This would not end well for her.

Reaching over, he grabbed the back of her neck and shoved her to the ground, pushing her head forward until her nose was almost brushing the spot on the floor.

"Well, what the fuck is it?" He yelled, spittle flying from his mouth as he shouted.

Elena shook her head quickly. "I—I don't know, Uncle John. It wasn't there last night, I promise. I didn't do anything."

Uncle John released his hold on her and Elena fell back into a kneeling position, forcing herself to meet his gaze, and instantly wishing she hadn't. His face scrunched up as he glowered at her, his eyes becoming little slits in his flushed face.

"You lying little bitch! If I didn't do it, then who the hell else could have?"

There was no way Elena was getting out of this one. Uncle John had obviously spilled something when he came home drunk last night—probably beer by the looks of it—and either didn't remember or just wanted a reason to blame her for something.

And she would take the fall, no matter how this played out.

"I swear, I didn't do it. I don't know how it got there, but it wasn't me. I'll clean it up though," Elena said quickly as she scrambled to her feet, already realizing that nothing could save her now.

"So not only are you going to ruin my property, but you're going to continue to lie to my face? Someone needs to teach you a lesson, girlie."

Before she realized what was even happening, Uncle John crossed the space between them, his quick hand flying across her cheek, sending her stumbling backwards.

The flash of pain stunned Elena, and her hand flew to her now throbbing cheek, holding it gently as horrified eyes locked on her uncle. He raised his hand again, but her fight or flight instinct kicked in and she managed to slip just out of his reach.

She realized her mistake half a second later. She should have just stayed put.

His eyes widened with fury as he made a swipe for her arm, latching on tightly and causing her to wince at the sudden pressure. Dragging her towards him, he lashed out at her face again, this time making contact.

Elena staggered backwards from the impact, knocking into a side table and sending a lamp tumbling to the floor. She cried out when she heard it shatter, knowing it would be something else for her uncle to punish her for.

"You stupid, little bitch!"

Elena winced, bracing herself for his next assault.

And she didn't have to wait long.

Uncle John crossed the space between them and shoved her harshly into the living room wall.

He stood before her, waiting for her to meet his steely gaze.

"Clean it up. Now."

Elena nodded quickly before stepping around her uncle and over to the mess. Dropping to her knees, she carefully began picking up the pieces of the broken lamp, wincing when the jagged pieces sliced into her skin.

She felt Uncle John standing over her, watching her every move.

Thankfully the lamp hadn't broken into a million pieces and she was able to pick up everything in one trip.

Uncle John followed her into the kitchen and watched her throw the pieces into the trashcan. Elena slowly turned to face him, waiting to see if it was over.

Grabbing hold of her arm once more, Uncle John muttered obscenities as he dragged her toward the door she feared most. She dug her feet into the carpet, but that failed to slow him down in the slightest.

"Please, Uncle John," Elena pleaded, her panicked eyes glued to the hallway closet door that loomed closer by the second. "I'm sorry, so sorry. It won't happen again, I promise!"

Elena didn't even know what she was apologizing for, but the words tumbled out naturally.

He simply ignored her, throwing open the closet door with one hand and tossing her in with the other.

She hit the back wall harshly, wincing as she cradled her arm to her chest. Spinning around, she was just in time to see Uncle John's dark smirk as he shut the door on her, confining her to the small space.

She heard the distinct click of the lock and the light turned off a second later as he flipped the switch outside, trapping her in darkness.

Elena slid down the wall, pulling her knees to her chest as she tried to not focus on how small of a space she was trapped in.

She released a small gasp when she heard Uncle John approach the door again, before the small strip of light at the bottom of the door was completely blocked by a towel.

She was shrouded in complete darkness.

Her panic renewed when she heard the distinct rattle of Uncle John's keys, before the front door opened and slammed shut.

He was leaving. For who knew how long.

Elena counted to ten in her head, trying to slow her breathing and control the sudden panic she felt. Uncle John had quickly learned of her fear of both the dark and small spaces, and of course, used it against her as punishment and for his own amusement. She leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes, trying to find a happy place to drift off to.

She was only mildly surprised when a brilliant pair of green eyes stared back at her.

* * *

><p>Aww, poor Elena...things will get better for her, but they will also have to get a bit worse before that can happen, so bear with me.<p>

Thanks so much for reading! I'm going to do my best to squeeze one more chapter in before the New Year. Up next: We meet Damon.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Lizzieloo


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.

**AN:** Thanks so much for reading and for all of your reviews! I'm blown away by the response I've gotten for this story so far, and it's been inspiring me to write and update faster. Sorry this chapter's kind of on the shorter side, but I wanted to keep my promise to you guys and get another one out before the New Year!

**Chapter 4**

"So, little bro, have you found the 'human experience' you've been searching for yet?" Damon's sarcastic tone echoed down the hallway, getting louder with each step. "Is it _Boy Meets World_ enough for you?"

Stefan sighed, turning to find his brother leaning against the doorframe of the living room.

"Have they already named you Homecoming King? Don't tell me, you're captain of the football team. No wait, student body president."

Stefan shook his head and turned back to his book, trying his best to ignore his brother's attempts to rile him.

But if there was one thing Damon hated, it was being ignored.

Vaulting over the back of the sofa, he plopped down next to Stefan.

"I mean, I get wanting to go back to school to get all cozy with those high school cheerleaders, but for whatever it is Saint Stefan is there for? That I do not get."

Stefan set down his book and turned to face his brother.

"Want to know something that I don't get, Damon? Why did you feel the need to follow me back to Mystic Falls?"

Damon grinned broadly. "Well of course when I heard that my little bro was heading back toward this forgotten corner of the world, I couldn't resist a little homecoming reunion. But the real question is, why did _you_ come back? Feeling nostalgic? Wanting to relive history? Secrets, secrets are no fun."

Stefan glared at his taunting brother and was about to retort when Damon cut him off.

"I know, I know. You won't tell me the real reason. Yet. But you know that I'll figure out what you're up to in no time. It'll be a good brotherly, bonding experience."

Damon stood to leave, but not before reaching out to take a quick swipe at the back of his brother's head. Stefan saw it coming, and managed to push his hand away before it could make contact.

Damon pretended to pout, before sauntering out the room. He paused in the doorway and turned back to face Stefan, a cheeky grin on his face.

"So can you at least try to get into trouble or something?"

Stefan cocked an eyebrow. "I probably shouldn't, but I'm going to ask anyways — why?"

Damon grinned, clearly delighted by his train of thought, which was never a good thing in Stefan's opinion.

"Well, then I can show up for your little parent-teacher conference or whatever, and then _I'll_ get the chance to check out some cheerleaders. You know, maybe _seduce_ a few hot, young things…"

Stefan's mind immediately leapt to Elena. Damon was not to go anywhere near her…

"No!" Stefan shouted, not meaning to sound so panicked. He realized his error when it was Damon's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Well, well now don't you sound concerned?" Damon gasped mockingly, before taking on a girlish Southern accent. "Why Stefan, are you holding out on me? Have you already become some sweet young thing's beau?" He clasped his hands together and fluttered his eyelashes dramatically to add to the effect. "And after only the first week of school? My, my, you do move fast."

"It's not that, Damon." Stefan gritted his teeth. This is so not the direction he wanted this conversation to take. Damon was like a child: if you told him he couldn't have something, he would stop at nothing to get it.

And Elena was not about to become that something.

There was just something about her, something special — he was shocked by the instant connection he had felt with her. He'd never had that spark with anyone before, human or vampire. It had taken less than a day for him to care about her so much. Too much, probably. But he wasn't about to let Damon know that.

"Then enlighten me, dear brother. Because I think you're lying."

"I just like it here. I don't want you to go around compelling girls and risking our exposure. You know what happened in Washington…"

Damon examined Stefan for a long moment, before shrugging his shoulders and crossing the room to pour a drink.

Stefan exhaled, grateful he seemed to have bought it. Turning back to his book, he barely noticed when his brother headed toward the door. But he didn't miss his final words.

"I still think you're lying, little bro. And I'm going to find out why."

* * *

><p>Elena woke up before her alarm on Monday morning, hurrying to get to school early. She wanted — no needed — to get out of this house as soon as possible.<p>

Having showered the night before, anticipating her urge to get out of the house early, she slipped on a long-sleeved t-shirt and jeans. Running a brush through her hair, she quietly tiptoed to the bathroom. The last thing she wanted to do was wake up Uncle John.

Brushing her teeth quietly, she almost fled the room before thinking to check her face for any visible marks in the mirror.

And was so thankful that she had.

On her left cheekbone, looking no more than an out-of-place shadow, was a faint bruise from when he'd hit her.

Most people probably wouldn't even notice it, but she couldn't take that chance.

Quietly opening the drawer, she rummaged around for her tube of concealer. She dabbed a bit onto the bruise, wincing slightly as her fingers brushed against it, spreading the cover-up enough to where it was practically invisible.

Elena tilted her cheek in several directions, testing out her handiwork in various shades of light.

Perfect. The makeup seemed to conceal the bruise completely.

Satisfied, she returned to her room to grab her book bag, before silently heading down the stairs.

Her eyes zeroed in on the closet she had spent all of Saturday in, giving it a wide berth as she went to grab an apple from the kitchen.

After Uncle John remembered to release her late Saturday night, she had doctored the small cuts on her hands before going straight to bed.

Elena was always strangely drained, both physically and emotionally, after her times spent in the closet. And the longer she was in there, the worse she felt afterwards. It always took her quite a while to feel normal again after those hours spent in the dark, confined space. It was almost like she emerged completely disoriented every time.

This wasn't the longest amount of time she had spent in the closet. Once, Uncle John, whether on purpose or because he had forgotten about her, left her in there overnight. That had been absolute hell.

She shuddered, remembering how long she had begged and pleaded to be let out that night. And how dizzy and out of place she had felt when he actually had released her the following day.

Elena stared at the apple in her hand, suddenly finding herself not the least bit hungry. The memories always made her lose her appetite.

She shoved the apple in her bag anyway, in case she changed her mind while walking to school. Bonnie wouldn't be by for at least another 45 minutes, but Elena wasn't waiting that long to escape her prison.

She quietly shut the front door behind her, breathing in deeply as that familiar sense of freedom came over her.

She loved Mondays.

* * *

><p>Stefan was getting dressed Monday morning and had just pulled on a plaid, button up shirt when Damon appeared in the doorway to his room, leaning against the frame.<p>

Stefan's hands froze on the button he'd been working on, his eyebrows raised in question.

"Can I help you with something?"

Damon shrugged, before letting himself into Stefan's room, wandering aimlessly around before collapsing in his desk chair.

"Nope," he said, popping the "p."

Stefan rolled his eyes, knowing Damon would reveal his intentions in his own sweet time.

Glancing at the clock, Stefan hurried his movements. He wanted to have time to see Elena before class began. Spending two whole days without her had been dreadful. Several times he had wanted to casually stroll by her house just to catch a glimpse of her, but decided that was way too stalkerish. So instead, he forced himself to wait until school on Monday, like a normal person.

Slinging his bag onto one shoulder, he gave Damon one last questioning look before heading out of his room. He had just stepped through the doorway when Damon said one word that froze him to the spot.

"Elena."

The way her name rolled off his tongue sent Stefan into a frenzy. But he had to remain calm.

Spinning slowly, he was met with his brother's lazy grin.

"What did you say?" He said, trying to sound casual and failing miserably.

Damon smirked, slowly rising to his feet and crossing the room to stand before Stefan.

"Eleeeenaa," he drew out her name.

Stefan's nostril's flared briefly before he managed to speak again.

"Who's Elena?"

Laughter filled the silence of the room.

"Why are you even bothering to play dumb, little bro," Damon sounded like he was scolding a child, as he began to circle Stefan. "I know all about your little _girlfriend_. Why didn't you care to share? Don't brothers share…._everything_?"

Sudden rage surged through Stefan at what Damon was implying. He flew at his brother until Damon's back slammed into the opposite wall.

"Stay away from her," Stefan growled out. "I don't know how you know about her, but just stay away. She's off limits."

Damon's eyes widened in surprise for an instant, before his expression melted back into his usual smirk. It wasn't every day that his brother was overwhelmed by jealousy. Or reacted to anything, really.

"Testy, testy. Don't get your panties in a wad. I didn't say I was going to _do_ anything. I just wanted to remind you that you _can't_ keep secrets from me. I find out everything."

Stefan continued to glare at his brother before he released his hold on Damon, stepping away from him.

"Just…just don't, Damon. Not her," Stefan said quietly, his gaze steady on his brother.

There was a long pause.

"Okay, okay. I won't."

Stefan examined his brother for a long moment, before turning away and heading out the door. Damon heard the front door slam a few seconds later.

Turning around to face the window, Damon watched his brother get in his car before backing out of the driveway, speeding off down the road.

_ Elena._

What was it about this girl that elicited such a reaction out of Stefan?

Damon's gaze began following the movements of a sparrow in a nearby tree as her name fell from his lips in a whisper.

* * *

><p>Thanks so much for reading! I hope everyone has a fun and safe New Year!<p>

See you in 2012!

Lizzieloo


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.

**AN:** I'm so, so sorry for the wait! I know how frustrating it is when writers don't update consistently and I'll try to do better. Hopefully I'll be able to find more time to write in the next few weeks and actually get ahead in the story again. But thanks so much for all of your reviews! It means so much that you're enjoying the story so far! And now, without further ado, onto….

**Chapter 5**

Stefan added extra pressure to the gas, watching the little needle slowly rise from 40 to 45 to 50 on the speedometer. He was eager to get to school that morning. And yes, he'd admit that it had everything to do with a beautiful pair of chocolate eyes.

The weekend had dragged on torturously. Sunday especially seemed to crawl by as he anxiously awaited for Monday morning to arrive, and the chance to see Elena.

For better or worse, he found himself craving her company constantly.

Zipping into the parking lot, he pulled into the first spot and hopped out of his car. Glancing around at the dozen or so cars scattered across the lot, he frowned when he noticed Bonnie's car was missing.

He had beaten the girls here. Now he'd just have to waste some time until Elena arrived.

Stefan slowly trudged into the school while keeping an eye out for the little blue car to pull into the parking lot.

But no such luck.

Checking his watch as he strolled down the nearly empty hallway, Stefan frowned as he realized school didn't start for another 40 minutes. He hadn't even realized he'd left the house so early.

Elena wouldn't be here for a while.

He grabbed his books from his locker and headed to the library to kill some time. Saying hello to the librarian, he settled down at a round table in the empty room, pulling out _Crime and Punishment_ to get some reading in for English class.

He found it difficult to concentrate though, as his eyes kept drifting to the clock on the wall, willing time to move faster.

Stefan had nearly given up on reading completely when he heard the library door open and close loudly.

Curious, he leaned back in his seat, peeking between two rows of books to spot the new arrival.

His eyes widened as he nearly fell out of his chair.

It was Elena.

Heading in his direction.

Stefan righted himself again, scooping up the book as he tried to look casual, waiting for Elena to turn the corner.

He realized the exact moment she spotted him.

Her soft footfalls froze as her breath hitched in her throat.

"Stefan?" Her soft voice sent a shiver down his spine.

He glanced up from the novel, schooling his features into a surprised expression.

"Elena? Hey, what are you doing here so early?"

She glanced down at the floor briefly, before meeting his gaze again.

"Um, just woke up early and thought I'd get some studying in before school. You?"

Stefan held up his book for her to see the cover. "Same here."

She smiled warmly, which he returned.

"Care to join me?"

Elena hesitated for a slight moment. "Um, sure," she finally said, sliding into the chair to Stefan's left.

"So how was your weekend?" Stefan asked, now cheerful for his good luck this morning.

Elena lowered her gaze to stare at the tabletop. "It was fine. I didn't really do much." She turned her head slightly to glance at him. "How was yours?"

"Kind of boring."

She nodded her head before looking away again, her eyes scanning the room.

Stefan thought she seemed a bit nervous for some reason. Something was off.

"So is Bonnie here somewhere, too?" He asked, trying to put her at ease with light conversation.

"Oh no," she replied quickly as she reached into her bag and pulled out a spiral notebook and pencil, setting it on the spot in front of her. "I walked today."

They both watched as the pencil rolled off the table and fell to the floor between them.

Elena moved quicker than Stefan expected as she leaned over to swipe the pencil off the ground before he could get it for her.

But as she twisted back up into a sitting position, his eyes zeroed in on a dark blemish on her left cheek.

Without thinking, Stefan reached out and grabbed her chin gently, turning it so he could get a good look at the faint shadow.

His eyes flashed with anger as he spotted the outline of a bruise under her makeup. A human probably wouldn't be able to even notice it with her attempts at concealing it, but with his enhanced vision, it was easy to spot.

Stefan struggled to keep his face blank and his tone light.

"What happened to your cheek?" He managed to ask, with only the slightest hint of anger slipping into his voice.

Elena's eyes flew wide as her face paled slightly, which only highlighted the bruise even more.

Her hand flew to cover the spot as she worked to control her expression.

"Oh, that," she said, releasing a small, strained laugh as her hand slowly lowered from her cheek. "I ran straight into an open door. I'm a bit on the clumsy side," she laughed nervously again.

Stefan frowned slightly, reaching up to gently trace the outline with the tips of his fingers.

Elena's cheeks instantly flushed as her gaze flew around the room, looking everywhere but at him.

He smiled at her reaction, before dropping his hand back to the table.

He wasn't sure if he bought her story, but he had no reason to believe she would lie to him. And he tried to not be one to jump to conclusions, but still…

Stefan made a mental note to try to find a moment later to ask Bonnie about Elena's supposed clumsiness.

"Try to be more careful," he said gently, watching as her cheeks grew rosy again.

"I'll do my best," she laughed more naturally this time, as her gaze found Stefan's and held.

Their eyes remained locked for several long moments.

A surge of affection for this certain human girl overwhelmed Stefan. He wanted — no needed — to spend more time with her, outside of school.

"Elena, do you—"

The library door opened and slammed shut, as a noisy group of teenagers filled the space, ignoring the librarian's repeated requests for silence.

The sudden noise distracted Elena, as she turned to glance at the boisterous new arrivals.

She turned back to face Stefan.

"I'm so sorry. What were you about to say?"

He stared into her inquiring gaze and chickened out.

"Oh, I was just going to ask if you knew what chapter we were supposed to read through for today."

* * *

><p>Elena was almost grateful those noisy students had interrupted them in the library.<p>

She tried to pay attention to Mr. Camden as he explained the math equation, but her mind kept drifting to her conversation with Stefan before school.

Had he believed her?

She ran through the conversation once more.

He sounded like he had. But then again, she was a crappy liar when put on the spot. She hadn't come up with anything to explain the bruise, because she didn't think anyone would be able to see it.

Stefan must have really great eyesight or something.

Well, he had no reason to not believe her, right?

She didn't think she'd left any other clues for him to follow. All he really knew was that she lived with her uncle. Nothing too off about that…

She sighed, propping her chin in the palm of her hand.

She'd just have to be more careful from now on. No more mistakes.

* * *

><p>Stefan's eyes searched the rush of students as they made their way to lunch. Leaning against the wall by the cafeteria entrance, he sought out one person.<p>

_There!_

Reaching out, he gently tugged Bonnie away from the crowd, grateful to find that she was alone.

Bonnie's outraged expression shifted the moment she realized it was Stefan who had a hold of her arm.

"Stefan? What's up?" Bonnie asked, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

"I need to ask you something," Stefan said softly, his eyes darting down the hallway to make sure Elena wasn't around. Placing a hand at the small of her back, he guided Bonnie into the first empty classroom he found.

"Stefan, what's going on? Is something wrong?"

"No. I mean, yes. I mean, I don't know," he mumbled, shoving his hand through his hair. "Bonnie, is Elena typically clumsy?"

Bonnie's startled expression indicated that this was certainly the last thing she thought he would ask.

"What? Is she clumsy? Why the heck would you ask that, Stefan?"

He shook his head briefly, dismissing her question and asking one of his own. "But is she?" He implored.

"Not really anymore than the next per— but yeah, I guess you could say that she's clumsy. Yeah, now that I think about it, she really does fall down a lot…"

Stefan turned away from Bonnie, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Bonnie's eyes had widened mid-sentence before she switched gears completely, suddenly going from Elena's not clumsy at all to "she falls down a lot." Stefan's suspicion just skyrocketed.

"Why are you asking me this, Stefan?" Bonnie asked casually.

"No reason," he answered as nonchalantly as she had, as he turned to face her again. "I just noticed her tripping a lot earlier and was wondering if I should be concerned or if it was normal."

If Bonnie wanted to hide things, then so could he.

"I guess let's go find our clumsy friend then."

* * *

><p>Bonnie waited until they were safety in her car — and away from any possible eavesdroppers — before telling Elena about her interesting conversation with Stefan earlier that day.<p>

"So, Stefan and I had a rather strange chat before lunch."

Elena's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he asked me if you were a clumsy person."

"What? Why would he…"

Elena trailed off as her eyes widened slightly with realization. "Oh no."

"What?" Bonnie asked. "'Oh no' what?"

"This morning, in the library before school. He somehow noticed the bruise on my cheek—"

Bonnie's eyes flew to Elena's face. "Bruise? What bruise? Did John—"

"Bonnie, watch the road!" Elena shouted as they started drifting out of their lane.

Bonnie trained her eyes back on the road and straightened the car out. "Oops."

She quickly pulled over the first chance she got and stopped the car.

Turning to face Elena, who was clearly avoiding her gaze, Bonnie reached over and placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder.

"Elena, what happened this weekend?" She asked softly.

Elena continued to stare at her lap, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. She knew she shouldn't, but she could never help feeling ashamed and embarrassed about the things that happened to her. Even with Bonnie.

"Elena?"

Elena's reply was so soft that Bonnie barely heard it.

"He locked me in the closet on Saturday."

After a moment of silence stretched into several, Elena chanced a glance up at her best friend.

"Oh Bonnie, don't cry!"

Elena unbuckled her seatbelt so she could reach her friend to hug her.

"It's okay, I'm fine. See, good as new. Please don't cry!"

Bonnie swiped at a few tears before pulling away so she could see Elena's face.

"I'm sorry, so sorry. I should be the one comforting you, not the other way around," she said, laughing humorlessly.

"It's okay. Maybe it's good – you can cry for both of us."

This brought another round of tears to Bonnie's eyes, but she managed to keep them from falling.

"So…So I guess he gave you some bruises then, too?" She asked quietly, gesturing to Elena's cheek.

Elena fell back into her seat, her gaze dropping once again to her lap.

"Yeah. A few. But I'm okay."

Bonnie sighed sadly.

"Oh, Elena. What are we going to do?"

Elena faced her best friend, a half smile in place.

"All I can do — count down the days."

* * *

><p>Thanks so much for reading! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!<p>

Until next time,

Lizzieloo


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the _Vampire Diaries_, or any of its characters.

**AN:** Thanks again for all of your reviews and responses to this story – they brighten my day and inspire me to write more! Hope you enjoy the chapter! And now, without further ado…

**Chapter 6**

"Hey Stefan, where's—whoa. You look like crap."

Stefan raised his head from his hands briefly to glare at his brother, before settling back in his original pose of elbows braced on knees, head cradled by hands.

"I feel like crap," Stefan's muffled words made Damon smirk.

"It's that organic stuff you're on. You need meat, not tofu. It's made you weak," He paused briefly, before emphasizing his next word. "Vulnerable."

Stefan managed a snort at his brother's remarks.

Damon sighed loudly. "Well you're no fun today." He turned to leave the room before having second thoughts, spinning back to assess his brother once more.

"All right. When was the last time you hunted your little bunnies and squirrels?"

"I don't know. I've been…busy."

"Busy with your little human girlfriend?"

"Don't start, Damon. Not today."

"Fine. But what you need, little bro, is to hunt."

"But I can usually go much longer than this. I shouldn't feel this way yet."

Damon shook his head, not believing he was about to _help_ his brother.

"It's your little schoolboy routine. You're not used to having to resist that much human blood all the time. It takes more out of you, thus you need to hunt more often. I suggest taking the day off and spending it hunting. You could use a break from all the tempting blood anyways. There, I've done my good deed for the day."

Damon turned away to leave the room. He had almost crossed through the doorway when Stefan's weak voice reached his ears.

"Thanks, Damon."

* * *

><p>Elena hurried down the hall toward the cafeteria, hoping Bonnie had heard something of Stefan's absence at school. He hadn't been in any of their classes today, and had seemed perfectly fine yesterday.<p>

She was worried.

Turning the corner quickly, she collided with someone.

Someone very tall.

Once she'd righted herself, she found her line of sight blocked by a leather jacket. Her eyes slowly drifted upward to find a tall, handsome stranger gazing down at her with a worried expression.

"Are you all right?" The stranger asked, dark eyebrows drawn in concern.

Elena's eyes narrowed slightly in confusion as she tried to figure out what this guy was doing here. He was clearly too old to be a student, and was definitely not a teacher….

_Oh right, he asked me a question…_

"Yes, yes I'm fine," she finally responded, slightly annoyed by the amused twitch playing on the stranger's lips.

"Are you sure you're not feeling dizzy or something? Do you need to lie down?" The man teased, his blue eyes sparkling with mirth.

"I'm fine," Elena snapped back, shocked by how this guy had managed to get under her skin in about ten seconds.

"Well if you're sure…could you tell me where the office is? I need to pick up my brother's assignments."

Elena's eyes widened in enlightenment as her irritation with this man suddenly vanished. "Oh, you wouldn't happen to be Stefan's brother, would you?"

A broad grin stretched across the stranger's face.

"Yup, that's me. You know Stefan?"

"Yes, I'm a good friend of his. I'm Elena," she said, offering her hand for an introduction.

"It's so nice to meet you, Elena. I've heard a lot about you. I'm Damon." He took her small hand within his own, holding hers captive for a moment longer than necessary.

"Well I'm glad I finally got to meet you, but where's Stefan? Is he okay?"

A pang of jealousy ran through Damon. Elena was clearly worried over his little brother. It'd be nice to have someone actually be concerned for you like that…

"Oh, he's okay. Just feeling a little under the weather today. He should be back tomorrow or the day after."

Elena's troubled expression melted into one of relief.

"Oh good. Well please tell him to get better and that school wasn't the same without him."

"Will do, Elena. I'll be on my way, but it was a pleasure meeting you."

Elena smiled as they parted ways, hurrying on to find Bonnie in the cafeteria.

It wasn't until she was seated at their usual table that she realized she had never told him where the office was.

* * *

><p>Stefan felt much better after his "day off."<p>

He hated to admit it, but his brother had been right. A nice long hunt was all he'd needed.

Strolling down the hallway, he was on the lookout for a mass of brunette locks.

Smiling when he caught sight of Elena standing by her locker, he veered his path in her direction.

A beautiful smile stretched across her face the moment she spotted him, bathing him with a warmth that reached deeply into his soul.

"Stefan!" She exclaimed, waiting for him to cross the hallway to her.

"Hey, Elena," he returned with an easy grin.

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thanks. It must have just been a 24-hour bug or something."

"Yeah, your brother said you'd probably be back today or tomorrow."

Stefan's eyebrows drew together.

"My brother?" He echoed, confused.

Elena tilted her head to the right, her brows slightly furrowed, matching his confusion.

"Oh, did he not tell you that I met him yesterday? When he came to pick up your assignments?"

Stefan's teeth clenched together.

_Sneaky bastard._

It seemed that Damon had begun one of his little games. A game that Stefan was not willing to play.

"No, he didn't mention it," he responded, trying to keep his tone light. "It must have slipped his mind."

"Oh. Well we only talked for a few minutes. He seemed nice."

Stefan pressed his lips together, trying to control his expression.

Yes, Damon was definitely up to one of his games.

"Yeah, Damon's….special." He replied, managing to ground out the last word between clenched teeth.

Thankfully, Elena failed to notice his sudden distress as she grabbed her history book, slamming her locker shut so they could walk to class together.

"What does Damon do?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, is he in college? Or does he work?"

"Oh, right. Well, he tried out college for a bit, but it didn't exactly suit him," Stefan chuckled, trying to picture his brother voluntarily opening a textbook. "He's not exactly the studious type. And he's in between jobs right now. He's kind of weighing his options, I guess."

"Sooo, what does he do with all of his free time?"

"Oh trust me, he finds ways to entertain himself. When he's not amusing himself by pestering me, he's out…being social."

Elena quirked an eyebrow but didn't press the topic further. If Damon wanted to loaf around doing nothing, that was not her business.

"Hey, Stefan! You're back," Bonnie fell into step on Stefan's other side. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better, Bonnie. Thanks for asking."

"Glad to hear it. You were missed," she said, letting her eyes shift from Stefan to Elena very pointedly.

Stefan just smiled while Elena gave her best friend a dark look for being so intentionally obvious.

"So, do you two lovely ladies have any plans for early release on Friday?" Stefan asked.

Elena's eyes widened with surprise. She had completely forgotten that they only had a half-day on Friday for parent/teacher conferences for the students that were already struggling.

"Elena?"

Elena turned to Bonnie once she realized she had been calling her name.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I was just telling Stefan that we didn't have any plans for Friday yet," she replied, giving Elena a meaningful look.

Elena instantly understood what she was getting at. The odds of Uncle John knowing about the early release day were slim, very slim. He hardly paid attention to her academic life and chances are he wouldn't be aware of it. Which meant there was a slight possibility that Elena could actually do something fun outside of school. Was it worth the risk though? Chancing a quick glance at Stefan — who was watching her, probably waiting for a response of some kind — she instantly decided that it was.

"Nope, nothing planned at all," she said cheerfully.

"Perfect," Stefan replied with a dazzling smile that made Elena's knees feel weak.

"How about lunch at the Grill?" Bonnie suggested. "And then maybe we could do something afterwards?"

"Sounds good to me," Elena was excited by the prospect of not only spending time with Stefan, but being able to act like a normal teenager for once. It would be nice to pretend for a little while, at least.

"Oh, but Elena will have to ride with you, Stefan, if that's okay. I'll have to run a quick errand for my mom afterschool."

Elena tried to ignore Bonnie's knowing smirk in her direction as Stefan said that that would be more than okay.

Elena could barely contain the beaming smile that her lips kept trying to form. Now she had two things to look forward to.

* * *

><p>Elena paid close attention to Uncle John for the next few days, but he gave no indication that he had any idea there was a half-day at school.<p>

In fact, he was barely around all week, and hardly spared her a glance. She did try extra hard to not give him anything to get angry over, and it worked like a charm, for once.

She sighed happily, gleefully awaiting her long overdue day of freedom.

Friday couldn't come any sooner.

* * *

><p>"Your chariot awaits my fair lady," Stefan said with a slight bow as he opened the passenger door for Elena. Bonnie had scooted out the doors quickly after the bell released them on Friday, probably to make sure Elena wouldn't have a chance to back out and try to hitch a ride with Bonnie instead.<p>

"Why thank you kind sir," Elena giggled, playing along with what she deemed a passable courtesy.

Stefan smiled before shutting the door, then jogged around the car and slid into the driver's seat.

A comfortable silence fell between them as Stefan carefully exited the parking lot.

Stefan was being presented with a golden opportunity, if he could just muster the courage to seize the moment. He wished Elena didn't make him feel so nervous that it was difficult to even ask such a simple question. Yet on the flip side, he also relished feeling so human for once. It had been a long time since he had truly felt such basic human emotions.

Glancing at the clock, Stefan figured he probably had about ten minutes before they would no longer be alone. Now was the perfect opportunity. He'd regret it if he let it slip by him.

"Are you going to the dance?" He ended up blurting out, wincing as the words tumbled out.

Cursing himself internally, Stefan wanted to shake his head at his own lack of composure. Out of all the things he could have said, that's what chose to leave his lips? Way to edge into the question, Stefan.

Elena looked just as startled as he was by his abrupt inquiry.

"Uh…."

"Sorry, that was random," Stefan tried to backtrack. "I was just wondering if you were thinking about going to the upcoming dance?"

"Oh. Um. I'm not really…much of a dancer."

"Oh me neither. But I thought it might be kind of fun to go anyways."

Silence enveloped the car once again as their thoughts each spiraled in their heads, waiting for the other to speak.

Stefan took a deep breath and tried again.

"So, um, Elena? Would you go to the dance with me?"

He glanced at Elena briefly and felt his chest swell at the surprise, then joy that lit up her beautiful eyes. Followed swiftly by a pretty blush that made her cheeks glow.

He turned away just in time to miss seeing that smile slowly melt away and be replaced by a crestfallen look.

The seconds stretched out as he waited for a response.

"I would love to so much, Stefan, but I don't think I'll be able to go to the dance."

While he had felt on the top the world just a moment ago, so certain of her answer, that elation was quickly replaced by a mixture of confusion and disappointment.

"Oh."

"I'm so sorry, Stefan. I just, I don't think it's going to be possible that weekend. But I would love to go, I really would. I just…can't."

"It's okay, Elena. Don't worry about it." He glanced her way again and gave a soft smile, trying to assure her that it was okay.

She returned his look with a sad smile of her own.

If only things could be different.

* * *

><p>Bonnie noticed the tall, dark stranger the moment she entered the Grill. It was impossible not to notice this man, mysterious and seductive as he was, leaning casually against the bar, his piercing eyes slowly scoping the place.<p>

She momentarily froze when their eyes locked by chance.

A slow smile stretched across his handsome features, followed by a wink.

_Figures he'd be cocky._

With a quick intake of breath, she forced herself to move forward again, finding an empty booth to wait in for Elena and Stefan.

Casually glancing around the place, she was faintly disappointed when the handsome stranger was no longer at his place at the bar. It was short-lived however, when she turned to find that same cocky smile sitting directly across from her.

"Um, excuse me, but what do you think you're doing?"

"Sitting with a beautiful girl."

Bonnie tried to ignore the way his silky voice created shivers that danced along her spine.

"Well aren't you the brazen one."

The stranger shrugged carelessly.

"I've been called worse." He leaned forward, his incredible blue eyes boring into Bonnie's, as he offered his hand in greeting. "I'm Damon, by the way."

Her eyes lit up with recognition.

"Ah, Damon. Yes, I've heard about you."

Damon laid his still waiting hand on the table and leaned back.

"You have, have you?" He asked with a mischievous grin. "Depending on where it came from will determine the context, but I can guarantee that it's all true."

Bonnie crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Sure you want to own up to everything I've heard?"

"Well, when you put it like that — oh look, Saint Stefan and Elena are here to join us."

Stefan stood before his brother, with Elena trailing just behind.

"Damon," he asked with a slight tilt of his head, his tone just a little too light. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just keeping this beautiful lady company," he returned with an innocent smile, as he gestured toward Bonnie.

"Right. Well don't you have to go now?"

Damon and Stefan stared at each other for a long moment.

"Hmph. I guess I do."

Standing to leave, Damon graced Bonnie with a slight bow. "It was a pleasure to meet you…" he trailed off, not knowing his companion's name.

"Bonnie." She filled in the blank, not seeing the harm in giving this man her name. She still wasn't sure about this character – he seemed to manage to annoy and intrigue her at the same time – but if he was Stefan's brother, then he certainly couldn't be dangerous.

"Another time then, Bonnie. Nice to see you again, Elena. Stefan."

They all silently watched as Damon sauntered out of the Grill, before Stefan and Elena slid into the booth with Bonnie.

"What was that all about?" Elena asked Bonnie curiously.

"I haven't the slightest idea."

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading!<p>

Until next time,

Lizzieloo


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the _Vampire Diaries_, or any of its characters.

**AN:** I do apologize for the long wait — I just haven't had any time to write in these last few crazy weeks. But thanks so much for your reviews — I'm glad y'all are still enjoying the story, despite my sporadic updates! And now, without further ado…

**Chapter 7**

Bonnie checked her watch before wrinkling her nose in supposed disappointed.

"I'm sorry guys, but I've really got to run. This was fun though; we should definitely do it again sometime."

After Stefan insisted on paying the bill for the third time, Bonnie slid from the booth, waving one last goodbye from the doorway. She smiled when she caught Elena mouthing a "thank you" to her when Stefan was looking the other way. She nodded her head with a silent "Of course," before disappearing out the door.

"Well," Stefan said, leaning back in the booth to observe Elena. "What would you like to do now Ms. Gilbert?"

"Hmm. Well that bookstore I've been telling you about is not too far from here. If you're still interested in seeing it, that is."

"Sounds perfect."

* * *

><p>"So since you wanted to check out a bookstore, I assume you enjoy reading?" Elena asked as she strolled down an aisle of assorted classics, her fingers trailing along the spines of worn novels.<p>

"Very much so. I'm a huge Fitzgerald fan. Hemingway, too. Faulkner, J.D. Salinger, Joseph Conrad. But don't get me wrong, I do love a good Grisham novel."

Elena turned the corner and started back up the next aisle, as Stefan stayed behind to take a closer look at a section of books in that row.

"I love Hemingway, too."

She paused when she was about even with Stefan in the aisle, with only the shelf of books standing between them. She smiled, watching him through a space between a row of books as he pulled a worn volume from the shelf. He slowly leafed through its pages, pausing briefly to read a passage here and there.

"The only genre that's really hit-or-miss with me is history," he remarked distractedly, as he continued to glance through the book. "And that's because I feel like so many authors get it all wrong."

Stefan's eyes suddenly appeared in the opening she had been silently observing him through, startling her slightly.

She could tell he was smiling by the twinkle in his eyes.

"What else do you enjoy reading, Elena?"

He disappeared from her view and she heard the book slide back into its place on the shelf, before he appeared behind her, joining her on the aisle.

"Whatever I can get my hands on, really," she shrugged, knowing how true this statement was. If the library didn't have a copy of it, she wouldn't be able to read it. She didn't have any money of her own, and there was no way Uncle John would ever let her waste _his_ money on something wasteful like literature.

"For me, it doesn't really have to do with how I like a particular author, or a writing style even. It's how the books make me…feel. How they can take me to a different place. Let me experience things beyond my reach. How the stories transport me to another world."

A pretty blush dusted her cheeks as Elena's eyes shot to the ground in embarrassment.

"That probably sounds really stupid," she mumbled as she stared at her shoes. Hearing the words aloud made her realize how foolish she sounded.

A hand gently cupped her chin, nudging her face upward until her gaze was level with Stefan's.

"Far from it, Elena. I know exactly what you mean," he spoke in such a way that she couldn't doubt his words. "And don't ever be ashamed by how you feel. You can always be honest with me. Don't hide from me."

Elena felt her eyes began to prickle and she knew they were trying to fill with tears. But she blinked them away furiously. She wouldn't ruin this moment by crying.

"Thanks, Stefan," she managed to whisper instead.

He gave her a gentle smile, before lowering his hand back to his side.

She missed his touch instantly.

After a prolonged moment of silence, Stefan glanced around the bookstore, taking it all in.

"Well thank you so much for showing me this place, Elena. It might just be my new favorite spot in town."

Elena smiled at this.

"It's my favorite place, so I'm glad you like it."

"Where to now?"

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Elena's smiled drifted into a frown.

"I should actually probably get going. It's getting kind of late."

Stefan was surprised by this comment, as it was still just the afternoon. But he didn't say anything on the subject.

"Do you have any plans this weekend?" He asked instead.

"Um, I've got a lot of stuff to get done around the house. And then some homework. So…pretty busy weekend, really."

"Would you have some time to grab a coffee or something tomorrow afternoon?"

Elena shook her head briefly, taking a few steps in the direction of the door.

"Sorry, Stefan. This weekend's probably not good. But maybe another time?"

"Sure, Elena. Rain check on that."

"Great. Well thanks for everything. I had a really good time, but should be going," Elena said, walking briskly toward the door again.

"Yeah, it was fun. Let me give you a ride home though at least," he said, heading toward her.

"Oh thanks, but that's okay. I want to walk; it's such a pretty day."

And with that she slipped out the door before he could get out another word.

Stefan crossed to the window of the shop, watching as her slim figure hurried down the sidewalk, before disappearing around the corner.

This girl was such a mystery to him.

And he was determined to find out all of her secrets.

* * *

><p>Bonnie wondered how Elena and Stefan's little "date" was progressing as she walked up and down the aisles in the corner store, picking up things her mom needed around the house.<p>

She hoped Elena would at least try to see if things would work with Stefan.

But Bonnie was still a little torn. On the one hand, she wanted Elena to risk it all to take a chance on finding love and happiness with Stefan. Her friend didn't have much going for her these days, and hadn't been even remotely close to this happy in years. But she seemed to light up when Stefan was by her side. It gave her a chance to forget about the horrors at home.

But that was the part that had Bonnie torn. Of course she wanted Elena — and Stefan, who was clearly crazy about Elena — to be happy, but Bonnie was also afraid of how this could all blow up in Elena's face. Uncle John was cruel enough. He didn't need any further….encouragement…to hurt Elena more than he already does.

Bonnie sighed. She didn't know what the right answer was. All she knew was that she wanted Elena to be happy. And at least she could give them little moments alone, like today.

Checking out at the register, she ducked out of the corner store….and ran straight into Damon Salvatore.

"Are you following me now?" She teased, yet still wondered what the odds were of running into him twice within a couple of hours.

"What would you say if I were?" He shot back with one of his gorgeous grins.

"I might just have to sic your brother on you."

"Stefan? Please. Besides, he's too wound up with his new little girlfriend."

"Uh, jealous much?"

"Now why would I be jealous of him when that means that I get to talk to you."

Bonnie tried to keep the blush at bay, but failed miserably. He might be pouring on the charm a bit too thick, but damn if she wasn't responding to it. This guy could be lethal. She'd certainly have to watch herself around this one.

Trying not to smirk at her reaction, Damon instead leaned over to try to peer into the grocery bag.

"So whatcha got there?"

"Just some things for my mom. I told her I'd run a few errands while I was in town."

"May I accompany you on these errands?"

Bonnie's expression displayed her reaction. That was about the last thing she was expecting. "Why would you want to do that?"

"Well, you see, there's this girl. And she's rather intriguing, but I don't really know anything about her. And I'd really like to get to know her, but that would involve me being around her…"

Bonnie couldn't help the grin that stretched across her face.

"Okay, okay. You can come."

Damon's face scrunched up in mock-confusion. "Oh, did you think I meant you?"

Bonnie couldn't help but laugh as she shoved Damon's arm playfully. "Shut up."

Damon's face lit up as he took the bag from Bonnie to carry.

"With pleasure."

* * *

><p>Elena froze when she turned onto her street and saw the car parked in the driveway.<p>

Uncle John was already home.

This could not be good.

For several minutes she stood in the middle of the sidewalk. She couldn't force herself to move forward. In fact, her instincts screamed for her to run far, far away in the other direction. But her mind knew that that would only make things worse. Much, much worse.

It took forever, but she finally managed to make that first step toward the house, followed by the second. Her eyes remained glued to the car and everything it represented as she slowly trudged down the sidewalk and toward her own version of hell.

She paused for a long moment outside the front door, before taking a deep breath and pushing it open, stepping into darkness. She hadn't noticed that the curtains were closed.

Her eyes took several seconds to adjust from the bright sunny day to the living room shrouded in darkness. Save for the single lamp in the corner, illuminating Uncle John's shadowy face.

He continued to stare at her for several long moments from hooded eyes, until he told her to shut the door in a low, quiet voice.

"Where have you been?" He asked in the same voice, once she had complied with his request.

"At school." She wished her voice hadn't cracked like it did.

"Liar."

"Well, well I was at school, but then we had early release so I went to have lunch with Bonnie," Elena fumbled, trying to carefully explain where she had been. Somehow he knew that school had let out early. She knew it was pointless to lie about that.

"You're still lying to me, Elena."

John slowly stood from the chair and Elena couldn't stop herself from taking a step back. She now had a clear view of what Uncle John had been holding.

His wide, leather belt, folded in half.

Elena's heart began to pound in her chest.

"Do you know how I know your lying?"

Elena didn't respond. She didn't think he actually wanted a response in this case.

"Do you?" His voiced rose for the first time.

Elena knew that it no longer mattered what she said from here on out. She did wrong, so she would be punished. Nothing could save her now. It was over.

"No, sir," she replied softly.

"Officer Baker took his lunch break at Mystic Grill. And do you know what he told me when he got back? That he saw you there. And that he would have come over to say hello to you, but that you were having such a good time with the Bennett girl and another boy that he didn't want to disturb you."

Elena's eyes slid shut for a moment. She never even noticed Officer Baker had been there. How could she have missed something like that?

"Who was this boy, Elena?"

There was no way she'd willingly reveal Stefan's name to Uncle John. Who knows what kind of crap he'd pull to get Stefan, or his brother, into trouble. No, she wouldn't let him go down because of her mistake.

"Just a boy from school. No one important. He saw Bonnie and I at the Grill and joined us. That's all."

He took several steps in her direction, until he was right in front of her.

"That had better be all. Wouldn't want you to turn into a whore like your mother."

Elena was suddenly filled with a white-hot rage.

"She wasn't a whore! Don't talk about her like that!" She shouted in his face before she could stop herself.

But this was what he had been waiting for. For her to provoke him in some way.

The first slap sent her head reeling to the side.

The second made her slightly dizzy and through the fog of her mind, she thought about how lucky she was that he had hit her with his hand instead of the belt.

Uncle John gripped her upper arm and dragged her toward the kitchen. Stopping in front of the dining room table, he grabbed her hand, slamming it on the table.

"Get in the position."

Elena wanted to cry. She had only been beaten with the belt a handful of times, and all were painful memories. Not only did it hurt like hell when it happened, but her back would be on fire for the rest of the night, and would sting and burn for several days after. She wouldn't be able to sleep or sit comfortably for weeks. It was a punishment that lingered long after it happened.

"Get. In. The. Position." He snarled through gritted teeth.

Elena forced herself to brace both palms on the table, feet should width apart, and leaned over slightly, leaving her back to face Uncle John.

"Fifteen lashes. Five for going out without permission. Five for lying to me. And five for being a whore like your mother."

He raised his arm and let the first lash hit her squarely in the back.

Elena's knees buckled instantly, and if she hadn't been gripping the table so hard, she would have fallen to the floor. The pain was instantaneous, spreading from the point of contact to the rest of her back like wildfire.

She bit her lip to keep from crying out. She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't scream. He wouldn't break her.

Again his arm raised and she felt the belt hit her higher than the first one.

She held onto her tears for the first three lashes, but by the fourth, the tears rolled unchecked down her cheeks

* * *

><p>Ducking his head into the Damon's room, Stefan was satisfied to find that his brother was not here. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he sighed before dialing the familiar number. It was time. He had stalled long enough.<p>

It rang just once before the person on the other end picked up.

"You found her?" The low voice asked as way of a greeting, clearly impatient to discover what Stefan had discovered.

"I found her. She's fine."

An exclamation of relief on the other end of the line.

"Why'd you take so long to contact me? You left for Mystic Falls weeks ago."

Stefan hesitated momentarily, before ushering his first lie to his friend.

"I wanted to make sure it was her."

In reality, he had wanted to keep her for himself. He had wanted some time to get to know the dark haired beauty, before bringing anyone else in. He had acted selfishly, but it had been worth it.

"But you're sure now?"

"Yes. Positive."

"Good. And you'll keep her safe? Until I'm ready."

"Yes."

* * *

><p>Sorry for the slight cliffy, but it had to be done! And poor Elena, I know! But things will get better for her, eventually, I promise. Thanks so much for reading — hope you enjoyed it!<p>

Until next time,

Lizzieloo


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the _Vampire Diaries_ or any of its characters.

**AN:** Ahhhhh, I'm so sorry for the incredibly long wait! All I can say is that I've been held up by that little annoyance called writer's block. I swear, I rewrote this chapter over a dozen times….still not sure if I'm completely happy with it, but I wanted to get _something_ out to you guys since it's been so freakin' long. Hopefully inspiration will strike and I'll be able to get something out to you sooner….but for now, without further ado….

**Chapter 8**

Elena spent the rest of the weekend lying facedown on her bed, trying to move as little as possible. Her back still throbbed when she was being perfectly still, but at least the pain was manageable then.

Uncle John had pretty much forbid her from leaving her room, which worked out nicely with Elena's plan of practicing being a human statue. This also meant that she didn't have to see much of her uncle the rest of the weekend either, who spent it either working or in front of the television with a beer.

Elena sighed softly as she turned her head to look out the only window in her room, then winced at the shooting pain the slight movement caused. She fell into a trance as she watched the leaves of a tree sway gently in the breeze, giving her mind plenty of time to wander.

She should have known better. That's all it boiled down to.

If she was going to take chances like this, then she would have to be fully prepared to take any consequences that might follow.

It was a simple concept: Action. Consequence.

But even as she lay completely immobile, with her back one continuous blazing fire, she had come to the realization that she had no regrets. If she could have a do-over on Friday, she would still make the same choices, even if she knew the outcome.

Once she'd reached this realization, she also came to the conclusion that there must be something wrong with her. Wouldn't a sane, normal person do any and everything possible to avoid the beating she had taken? She must have some wires crossed or something. Because no matter how she looked at it, or how much she overanalyzed it, she came to the same conclusion each time: she would take on any form of punishment to have had that absolutely perfect day with Stefan.

Besides, Stefan or no Stefan, Uncle John would always find something to punish her for.

Pain was familiar. Pain was something Elena could deal with.

But the thought of cutting Stefan out of her life completely — that was a horror too great to fathom.

She had decided that she would continue to walk this fine line — maybe try to be a little more careful in the future — but giving up Stefan altogether was not something she could deal with.

* * *

><p>Stefan glanced up from his book when his brother finally decided to make his appearance Friday evening.<p>

"And just where have you been all afternoon?"

Damon smirked before responding.

"Well, after being kicked out of your little date with Elena — who looked enchanting by the way," Damon goaded, chuckling when Stefan sent him a glare that promised instant death, "I thought I'd try to find my own little human girlfriend."

Stefan pressed his lips together, not liking where this was heading.

"Damon…" He warned.

Damon held his hands up in defense. "Hold on, hold on, hear me out before you start sharpening the stakes." He held up three fingers in the Boy Scout salute. "On my honor, I did not compel, maim, drink, or kill anyone on my outing, although I could be found most certainly guilty of seduction and being incredibly charming."

Stefan rolled his eyes and sighed.

"I'm afraid to ask, but who's the not-so-lucky lady you've set your sights on now?"

Damon gave him a wicked grin.

"That Bonnie's quite the firecracker."

Stefan jumped to his feet in outrage – the precise reaction Damon was looking for.

"No. Absolutely not. Are you kidding me, Damon? Not happening. Ever. You need to stay away from her, got that?"

Damon snorted and crossed his arms.

"So what, you've got a monopoly on every girl you know? Or maybe you have something kinky going on with Bonnie and Elena—"

"Stop it, Damon. You're being obvious. I told you to stay away from Elena, and what do you do? You go for her best friend. So what, are you trying to get to Elena through Bonnie? Or just doing it to piss me off? Maybe a little of both? Hmm?"

Damon simply shrugged his shoulders, which only irritated Stefan further.

"I'm serious, Damon. Stay away from both of them. They don't need your chaos in their lives."

"Okay, so double-standard, much? What, so you can get friendly with the humans, but I can't?"

"Drop the innocent act, Damon. You and I both know you're up to something. And I won't let you get Bonnie or Elena wrapped up in your schemes."

Damon smirked. "We'll just see about that, little brother."

* * *

><p>Elena winced as she slowly and carefully made her way downstairs on Monday morning.<p>

Her back was still sore, but as long as she could avoid any more stairs and bumping into things, she was pretty sure she'd be able to make it through the school day.

Glancing at the clock hanging in the living room, she noted that Bonnie would be by to pick her up in less than ten minutes. She was more than grateful to accept a ride from her friend today.

Gingerly picking her way across the room, she headed into the kitchen to grab something for breakfast.

Selecting an apple from the fridge, she swung the door shut and was met with Uncle John's dark gaze.

Startled, she jumped backwards, crying out when her back slammed into the kitchen counter. While taking deep breaths to control the instant pain, she vaguely noted that her uncle's expression never wavered. No hint of concern. No inkling of remorse. Just that continuous icy glare.

She shouldn't be surprised by now – she had lived with that icy glare long enough to know better – but she still couldn't fathom why he seemed to hate her so much. And how he didn't seem to have an ounce of human decency in his body.

While she waited for him to speak, the wave of pain slowly ebbed back into a dull throbbing.

She leveled her gaze to his.

"Good morning, Elena."

His cold tone sent a shiver down her spine.

"Morning, Uncle John."

She tried to keep her voice as steady as possible.

"Did we learn our lesson this weekend?"

Elena pressed her lips together tightly before responding, barely managing to keep the sudden flare of anger out of her voice.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Because I'll be keeping close tabs on you for a while. So don't do anything stupid. We wouldn't want to repeat that lesson again so soon, right?"

He smirked.

Elena knew he could see the contained fury in her gaze.

"Right."

* * *

><p>"You said no! He asked you to the dance! Why would you say no? Are you crazy?"<p>

Elena shushed Bonnie, glancing around the parking lot to make sure no one else could possibly be listening to them. She had just relayed her and Stefan's conversation about the dance to Bonnie, and was beginning to realize that waiting until they were almost to school to tell her had not been the brightest idea.

"Bonnie, you know why I can't say yes," she said in a much softer tone than her friend's. "You don't know how much I wanted to say yes. But I can't. You know that."

But Bonnie still wasn't having any of it.

"All I know is that when a gorgeous, perfect guy like that asks you to a dance, the answer is always yes. No if, ands, or buts about it," she said matter-of-factly.

"But it's just—" Glancing around and still feeling paranoid that someone would overhear, Elena asked Bonnie to unlock her car so they could finish this conversation inside it. Once away from any nosy listeners, Elena felt that it was safe to continue.

"It's just you know what could happen. It's too risky. I mean, how would I be able to explain being out all night? That's not something I can easily invent a cover for."

Bonnie slammed her palms against the steering wheel in frustration.

"It's just not fair! I hate him so much! He's ruining your life!"

Elena reached over and gently covered Bonnie's hand with her own.

"Thank you for caring so much. I honestly don't know how I'd get through it all without you," she told her best friend with a smile, which Bonnie returned.

"Well maybe there's another way," Bonnie said, clearly not letting this topic drop. "There's got to be. We can come up with something. Some way…" She trailed off, her mind flitting through possible scenarios that would involve Elena being able to go to the dance.

"I don't think so Bon—"

"Just don't give up so easily," Bonnie cut her off, twisting so she could look Elena directly in the eye, pleading. "Please. Let's just think about this for a few days. I'm sure we can come up with something. Don't tell me it wouldn't be worth it."

Elena was silent for a few seconds, before a grin broke out across her lips.

"Oh it would definitely be worth it."

* * *

><p>Stefan locked his car and turned to head toward the school when he noticed Bonnie and Elena across the parking lot. They had just gotten out of Bonnie's car and were walking toward the building, not having noticed him yet. He grinned and headed in their direction.<p>

His quick stride slowed, however, and the grin fell from his lips, when he noticed that Elena seemed to be struggling a bit. It wasn't too obvious – nothing that Bonnie or any other human would probably notice – but to Stefan's eyes it was clear as day. Her gait was slightly off, and although she kept her features schooled in a normal expression, he could see that something was wrong by the slight haze in her eyes and the fact that she kept her lips pressed tightly together with every step she took.

She was in pain.

Flooded with worry, he hurried over to greet them.

"Hey Bonnie, Elena."

They both turned to him at the same time.

"Hey Stefan!" Bonnie exclaimed. "How was your weekend?"

Stefan answered Bonnie's question, but kept his eyes glued on Elena, who's gaze had quickly shifted from him to focus on the sidewalk in front of her.

Something was definitely wrong.

"Elena, are you okay?"

Her eyes flitted to his, before she gave him a forced smile.

"Of course I am. Everything's great."

He stared into her eyes, trying to figure out what was wrong.

"Are you sure? You look like you need to lie down or something."

Bonnie turned to examine Elena's face, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"He's right. You don't look so good, Elena."

Stefan glanced between Bonnie and Elena, trying to decipher the cryptic looks exchanged between them. It was as if they were having a silent conversation.

"Maybe you should take the day off?" He said, breaking the puzzling exchange between the girls.

"No, no. I really am fine. Just a little tired," Elena checked her watch, clearly trying to end the conversation. "We better hurry if we don't want to be late for class."

Stefan didn't miss the concerned and questioning glances Bonnie kept throwing at Elena as they walked into the school together.

* * *

><p>Whew! I once again apologize for the ridiculously long wait! Like I said before, hopefully I'll get out of this stupid writer's block and be struck by inspiration, but regardless, I'll try to update sooner next time. Thanks for reading and hanging in there!<p>

Until next time,

Lizzieloo


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.

**AN: **I will not barrage you with my thousand excuses for the ridiculously long wait – I will just say that I'm incredibly sorry! Hope it will be worth the wait! Now, without further ado….

**Chapter 9**

Elena set her books in her locker before lunch, swinging the door shut. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Bonnie materialized by her side, her expression grave.

"What's wrong?"

Ignoring her question, Bonnie took Elena's hand and tugged her further down the hallway and away from the cafeteria. Turning the corner to find a nearly empty hallway, Bonnie pushed open the door to the girls' bathroom.

Elena sighed, realizing what this was going to be about.

She waited patiently while her friend carefully checked each stall, ensuring they were alone, before turning to face Elena.

"Let me see."

"Bonnie, seriously, I'm fine. I promise."

"Let me see." When Elena made no further movement she added, "I can stand here all day, Elena."

Elena sighed again, realizing Bonnie was in a mulish mood. And that meant that she was ready to follow through on her threat and actually stand there until Elena complied.

"Just—it looks worse than it is, I swear."

Turning away, Elena carefully lifted the back of her shirt, closing her eyes at Bonnie's horrified gasp.

"Oh my God," Bonnie whispered in shock.

Elena remained silent, feeling Bonnie moving closer.

She raised a tentative hand, pausing in the space between them, before delicately tracing the trail of an angry bruise, drawing back when Elena flinched.

It was clear from the patchwork of welts slowly fading to black and purple marks what had caused the damage.

Tears sprung to Bonnie's eyes as Elena let her shirt fall, her head hanging down slightly as she remained turned away.

"He found out about Friday."

Bonnie released a sob, covering her mouth quickly to try to muffle the sound.

Elena whirled to face Bonnie, her own eyes filling with tears at the sight of her best friend crying for her.

Drawing Bonnie into a hug, and ignoring any pain it caused, she pulled her closer while Bonnie cried on her shoulder.

After a few minutes, Bonnie's sobs dwindled into little hiccups. But they still held onto each other like a lifeline.

"He's getting worse." Bonnie's voice was muffled by Elena's shirt.

Elena nodded, realizing she couldn't hide that fact any longer. Not from Bonnie. Not from herself. Something had cracked in Uncle John this year. And she was the one paying for it.

Pulling away from Elena, Bonnie dried her eyes.

"You can't stay there anymore. Come live with me. You have to."

Elena smiled gently.

"You can't imagine how much I'd love that. But you and I both know it's not an option. He'd never allow it. And I don't want to drag you or you mom—or anyone—into this mess. Who knows what he's capable of."

"But—"

"It's just for a little while longer. I can handle it, I promise."

Bonnie folded her arms and looked away, clearly unhappy by Elena's words.

"I can't wait for the day when he gets what he deserves."

Elena gave a wry smile.

"Me too. Now we'd better get to the cafeteria before Stefan comes looking for us."

Bonnie mouth tilted up into a smile that didn't quite reach her shimmery eyes.

* * *

><p>Elena sighed wearily as she pushed open the school doors and stepped into the bright, clear sunlight. Today had been…difficult, to say the least. Her back was absolutely throbbing and all she wanted to do was lie down and stop having to pretend that everything was okay.<p>

She just had to hold it together for a few more minutes until Bonnie emerged from the school to drive them home.

As she started to slowly make her way towards Bonnie's car to wait, she suddenly froze. She could feel someone's eyes on her. Turning to face the school, she saw random huddles of kids talking or laughing. No one was paying her the slightest bit of attention.

Trying to ignore the feeling, she took another couple of steps before pausing again. She knew someone was watching her; she could feel their heavy gaze settle on her like a winter blanket.

She slowly turned towards the woods to her right, searching through the trees for her stalker. But all she saw were trees and foliage; not a person in sight.

But just because she couldn't see them, didn't mean they couldn't see her.

She was officially creeped out.

She didn't have long to consider her options, however, when she heard someone calling her name.

It only took half a second to place the voice. Closing her eyes, Elena sighed again.

_Not today._

But it was too late. By the time Elena spun around, Caroline was standing before her.

"Oh I'm so glad I caught you, Elena. I've been wanting to talk to you all day!"

Elena's eyes widened at Caroline's surprisingly pleasant tone. She was speaking to her as though they were…friends. Had Elena missed something? What was going on?

But Caroline prattled on as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"I've been trying to catch you all day! I wanted to talk to you. Well, really, I'd like your opinion on something. I just can't seem to make up my mind and then I realized that you'd be the perfect person to ask! Will you help me?"

Elena stared blankly at Caroline, who waited patiently for a response.

"Um, sure."

"Great! Well, you know the dance is coming up and I seriously cannot decide on a dress to wear. I can't even decide on a color! So then I realized that since you're friends with Stefan, maybe you could help me. Which color do you think he'd prefer? Blue, green or red?"

Elena's mouth dropped open in shock while she tried to process Caroline's words. Her brain had frozen the moment Caroline had said his name, and was now trying to catch up and piece together the rest of the words. Caroline and Stefan. The dance.

Elena's chest constricted as she suddenly found it hard to breath. Caroline. And Stefan. It made sense, kind of. She herself had told him no. Of course he'd find someone else to go with. But…Caroline?

Her eyes were finally able to focus on the beautiful blonde standing in front of her and she realized her foolishness. What guy _wouldn't_ want to go out with her?

"Elena? Woo-hoo," Caroline waved a hand in front of Elena's face, trying to pull her from her dazed expression. "So which color do you think I should wear?"

"Um." Elena was slowly trying to pull herself together, but was still at a loss for words.

Caroline's friendly expression suddenly transformed into a pitying stare.

"I mean, you didn't think _you'd_ actually be going with him, right? You know that's not how this works. I mean, _look_ at you. I know he must feel bad for you or something and that's why he's so nice to you, but you don't think anything would ever happen between the two of you. You do know that, right?"

Elena felt the sudden prickle of tears in her eyes but pushed them away. She would not let Caroline make her cry. But it still hurt all the same. Caroline was touching on insecurities Elena had felt from the start with Stefan. He was out of her league. Completely. She herself still didn't understand why he gave her the time of day. And here Caroline was, pointing it all out to her again.

Elena pulled her arms around herself, trying to keep it together, as Caroline prattled on about guys who would be more in Elena's league. But Elena tuned her out, ignoring the smirk that played on Caroline's face as she realized the hurt she was imposing.

This was too much. Elena's breath quickened as Caroline's words repeated in her mind. She tried to ignore them, to block them out, but they bore a path straight to her heart, slowly crushing her from within.

"What's going on here?" A familiar voice broke through the haze of Elena's panic. "Elena, are you okay?"

Elena's eyes shot to her savior, surprised to find warm, blue orbs watching her in concern.

_Damon?_

He placed a gentle hand on her back, leaning forward to examine her closer.

"Take a deep breath, Elena. It's okay. You're okay."

She focused on breathing, only vaguely processing the interaction between Damon and Caroline, until the angry clack of heels moved further away and only Damon remained.

She shut her eyes tightly, finally starting to feel in control again. Gentle hands brushed a wayward lock of hair behind her ears, and her eyes shot open in surprise. Damon smiled softly, watching her closely.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded slightly. "Yes, thank you. I-I don't know what happened."

"You were having a panic attack. Probably because of that bitch. Oops, sorry. Excuse my language." He apologized, although he didn't actually sound the least bit sorry for the name calling.

Elena couldn't stop the small grin that formed. She opened her mouth to reply when Stefan's voice filled the air.

"Elena? Damon, what the hell are you doing here?"

Damon moved away from Elena and turned slightly to face his brother.

"And hello to you, too."

Stefan's eyes moved between Elena's pale face to his brothers.

"What did you do to her?" Stefan asked darkly, his eyes flashing.

"It's okay, Stefan. I'm alright. Damon was just helping me."

"Helping you?" He questioned it like it was a foreign notion.

Damon signed before explaining.

"I was just waiting for Bonnie when I saw that this blonde bimbo had Elena cornered and that she didn't seem to be enjoying the conversation. So I intervened."

Elena's mind clicked when he mentioned Bonnie.

What? Bonnie and Damon were…hanging out?

Why hadn't she told her? Elena couldn't ignore the sudden hurt that came with discovering her best friend hadn't trusted her enough to share that she was suddenly hanging out with Damon. Especially when she knew all of Elena's dark secrets.

Elena was startled to find two sets of equally gorgeous eyes watching her expectantly.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I just asked what she said to you," Stefan repeated his previous question.

Elena held his gaze, determining whether she could muster the courage to ask her question. She finally looked away, mumbling that it was nothing.

Stefan knew that wasn't the case, but before he could ask her anything else about it, they were joined by Bonnie.

"Damon? What are you doing—oh my God, Elena, are you okay?"

A flare of betrayal at the sight of her supposed best friend made her answer curt.

"I'm fine."

Bonnie looked taken aback. She followed Elena's gaze as they flitted briefly from Damon to herself and realized that Elena had somehow gotten wind of her…friendship?...with Stefan's brother.

She locked eyes with Damon.

"Thanks guys, but I've got it from here. I'll make sure she gets home."

Damon and Stefan watched as Bonnie ushered Elena toward her car.

"I still can't figure out what you're up to, but, um, thanks for helping Elena out."

Damon reached a hand out to feel his brother's forehead, before Stefan knocked it away.

"I think you might be coming down with something. I mean, I could have sworn you just thanked me."

"Shut up, Damon. It doesn't mean I trust you. But still, thanks."

"What can I say? I just_ love_ playing prince charming to damsels in distress."

Stefan turned to face him, one eyebrow quirked.

"Do you actually hear the things that come out of your mouth?"

* * *

><p>Well I hope you guys enjoyed the (finally) new chapter! And I am once again so sorry for the long wait – I know how frustrating and annoying it can be when it takes so long for new chapters to be posted! But I really will get the next ones up sooner – I actually already have most of the next chapter or so worked out so that's good news. Anyways, thanks for reading!<p>

Until (a much sooner) next time,

Lizzieloo


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.

**AN:** Yay, new chapter! Hope you guys enjoy! Now, without further ado…

**Chapter 10**

Both girls sat in a tense silence for the first half of the car ride.

Bonnie kept glancing at Elena, who had apparently found the view from the passenger window fascinating.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Damon yet."

Silence.

"I know I should have. I don't like keeping things from you."

More silence.

"I just…we've only really hung out once. I don't even know what it is, if anything. And he asked me not to mention anything to anyone yet because apparently Stefan doesn't like the idea of his brother being around us. So until I figured out if there was anything to me and Damon, I didn't want to say anything."

Elena finally turned away from the window and faced Bonnie.

"Fine. I get it. That makes sense, I guess. It's just…I don't know…you know every little thing about me. You _make_ me tell you every deep, dark secret I have. Like today, in the bathroom. I'm not allowed to keep any secrets from you. But it's okay for you to keep them from me? Double standard much?"

Bonnie pulled the car to the side of the road and parked, turning in the seat to face her best friend.

"I know, and it was horrible of me! I was going to tell you! Trust me, you would definitely have been the first to know. It's just, I didn't want to complicate things with you and Stefan. Heck, and between me and Stefan. He's been a good friend, and I know things are strained with Damon and I didn't want to add that into the mix of all this chaos until I could figure out if there was actually something there. Please, please forgive me. I can't stand you being upset with me!"

"You know I can't stay mad at you, Bonnie. I just felt hurt, and surprised, to find out about it the way I did. It threw me off."

Bonnie smiled gratefully, throwing her arms around her best friend.

"Elena, you're the best. I promise, no more secrets. And I think I might just have something to make up for it," she said, her eyes twinkling in excitement.

"And just what are you up to now, Bonnie?"

"Well, you know my impressions are legendary," she said cryptically. "I think I have a way to get you to that dance!"

* * *

><p>Elena was stirring the pot of noodles when the phone rang.<p>

She heard Uncle John's gruff voice answer whoever was on the other line. Elena could just pick up on a few words and held her breath.

Bonnie's plan was in action.

She heard Uncle John hang up the phone before he shuffled toward the kitchen. Elena focused on stirring, trying to slow her racing heart.

"You have some project with that girl Bonnie?"

Carefully setting down the spoon, Elena schooled her features into a neutral expression, and turned to face him.

"Yes, sir. A science project."

He watched her carefully, his eyes narrowed to slits.

"And it requires you to stay at her house overnight?"

Elena nodded.

"Yes, sir. We have to monitor this plant species around the clock."

"Hmm. That's what her mother said." He eyed her again. "Well, I suppose you have to go. But no funny business," he pointed his finger at her. "And I'd better hear that you were on your best behavior. Got that?"

"Yes, sir."

He stared at her for another moment, before heading back into the living room and settling on the couch with the newspaper.

Elena released her held breath and closed her eyes briefly. It had worked. She turned back to stirring the noodles, trying to fight the smile that kept tugging at her lips.

* * *

><p>The moment Elena stepped outside the school, Stefan appeared at her side. He had clearly been waiting for her.<p>

"Hey, Elena."

"Oh, um, hi."

She'd been acting awkward around him all day, and could only hope he hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary. Caroline's words kept ringing through her head, but she hadn't found the nerve to verify if they were true.

"Bonnie said she had to stay late for something, so I was going to give you a ride. Is that okay?"

"Of course. I mean, I can walk, too. It's no big deal."

"Nonsense," he inclined his head to the right. "I'm parked over there."

Elena eyed Stefan carefully as they walked to his car. Something was off. Maybe he had noticed her awkwardness and was feeding off her unease. Or maybe he was going to tell her about Caroline. But he seemed…distracted? It was as if his mind were somewhere else right now. On Caroline? She just shrugged it off though; it was probably just her imagination.

However, once in the car, her suspicions were renewed. Stefan had yet to say a word, and just kept tapping his ring against the steering wheel in erratic rhythms. Something was definitely up.

"Stefan…is everything alright?"

"What? Hmm?"

"I asked if everything was okay. You seem…distracted."

Stefan seemed surprised by her comment.

"Of course. Why wouldn't it be," he blurted out quickly.

Now she was even more on alert.

"Okaaay."

Whatever it was, he clearly didn't want to talk about it.

She let silence dominate the rest of the car ride, seeing as Stefan didn't appear to be up for any kind of conversation. She didn't mind either; she didn't think she could handle hearing about him and Caroline.

Stefan pulled into her – thankfully – empty driveway and put the car in park.

"Thanks for the ride," Elena smiled and reached for the door handle.

"Wait. Please. So, um," Stefan said before running a hand through his hair. "So I hear your weekend might have opened up."

At her confused look, he elaborated.

"Um, I mean, the night of the dance."

Elena's eyes widened with understanding.

"Oh! Um, yes, I think it actually has." She narrowed her eyes slightly with suspicion. "Did Bonnie say something to you?"

Stefan flashed her his crooked grin. "She may have hinted that you might be…more open to a certain suggestion this time around."

Elena's stomach flipped.

"What about Caroline?"

Stefan's eyes widened in confusion.

"Caroline? What about her?"

Elena looked down at her lap, fumbling with the hem of her shirt. "Aren't you…aren't you going to the dance with her?"

"Are you serious?"

Elena looked up at his shocked tone. His expression matched his voice.

A weight lifted from her chest as her lips tugged into a smile.

"So she lied?"

"Is she seriously going around telling people that we're going to the dance together?"

Elena shrugged her shoulders. "That's what she told me."

"Well that girl is delusional," he huffed, clearly offended by the notion.

Shaking his head in disgust, he met Elena's gaze and held it.

Softening his voice, he smiled gently.

"There's only one girl in this town that I would like to go to that dance with."

Elena's heart skipped a beat.

"Oh?" She whispered.

"Yes. Elena, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the dance?"

If it were possible to die from happiness, Elena thought she just might.

"I'd love to."

* * *

><p>Elena tried to contain her excitement as she stood on Bonnie's doorstep Saturday afternoon.<p>

When the door swung open, both girls squealed and hugged excitedly, causing Bonnie's mom to laugh are their overzealousness.

Running upstairs to Bonnie's bedroom, Elena set down her small bag, immediately pulling out the best excuse for a nice dress that she had in her meager closet. She ran her hands down the black material. She hadn't worn the dress since her family's funeral. She didn't even know if it still fit, but it was her only option.

Bonnie watched Elena carefully hang the dress and heard the soft sigh.

Smiling gently, Bonnie turned to her own closet and after poking around a bit, pulled out a hanging bag that had been hiding in the back.

"I have a surprise for you," she said in a sing-song tone, as she presented the hanging bag to Elena.

She giggled at Elena's shocked expression.

"What? Bonnie, seriously, it's too much. You've already done so much—"

"You haven't even looked at it! Open it and tell me how much you love it."

Elena hesitated before taking the bag from her best friend. She couldn't help the smile that graced her lips, nor the gasp of disbelief at the beautiful gown.

It was a gorgeous midnight blue color that fell from a fitted bodice to soft folds to the ground. Its thin straps dipped into a low "v" in the front but had a higher back, which would be perfect for hiding those last few bruises that had yet to fade.

"Oh, Bonnie. It's beautiful."

"Try it on, try it on, try it on! I've been waiting for you to try the dang thing on since I bought it!"

"Alright, alright. I'll try the 'dang' thing on!"

When Elena emerged from the bathroom, Bonnie let out a playful whistle. The dress fit like a glove, and enhanced Elena's darker features while bringing out her eyes.

"It's perfect."

* * *

><p>Elena felt more carefree than she had in years giggling with Bonnie as they got ready. Tonight was going to be perfect. Nothing could ruin it. Not even Uncle John.<p>

Bonnie had just put the finishing touches on Elena's hair, pulling half of it up and letting the rest cascade into perfectly curled waves. Because Elena was admittedly worthless with a curling iron, or anything hair related really, Bonnie had run down the hallway to enlist her mother's help with her own hair.

Elena gently touched a curl hanging loose by her ear, feeling pretty for the first time in her life. No bruises. No cuts. Just a teenage girl going to a dance. It felt so…_normal_.

Leaning forward to admire Bonnie's handiwork with her makeup in the mirror, she froze. That familiar feeling of someone's eyes on her was back. A shiver danced down her spine as goosebumps raised on her flesh.

Someone was watching her.

Spinning around, the room was empty, as it should be.

"Bonnie?" Elena called out, questioningly.

A muffled "Just a sec" responded from down the corridor.

Elena glanced at the window, trying to peer through the darkness.

Moving slowly, she edged closer, hesitating when she reached the frame. Summoning her courage, she stood right in front of the window, trying to determine the reason for the creepy feeling.

It didn't take long to see why.

Standing just in the shadow of a streetlamp, stood a figure.

Gasping softly, she leaned closer to the glass, trying to make out anything that would signal who the mysterious person was.

And whether he or she was looking back at her.

But the person was standing in just the right spot so that all she saw was a dark silhouette, as if they knew she wouldn't be able to see them clearly.

Based on the shape, she was able to ascertain that it was a man.

_Uncle John?_

"Hey Elena, did you need something?"

Elena jumped in surprise, glancing over her shoulder to find Bonnie poking her head in the door.

"What are you looking at?"

"There's a man in the street. I think he's watching us."

"What?" Bonnie stepped into the room and headed toward Elena. "Creepy."

Elena nodded and turned back to the window.

But the man was gone.

* * *

><p><em>Duh, duh, duh<em>…

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Thanks so much for reading!

Until next time,

Lizzieloo


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** Of course I don't own the Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.

**AN:** For like the 110th time, I apologize for the wait. Hope you enjoy the chapter! And now, without further ado….

**Chapter 11**

Elena took Stefan's offered hand and stepped from the car as gracefully as she could in the long dress and heels. His gave swept over her for what seemed like the hundredth time, as he bent his head to hers, murmuring how incredibly beautiful she was.

His warm breath fanned across her ear and sent a tingle dancing down her spine, as his words created a pretty blush that dusted her cheeks.

He had hardly stopped looking at her since picking her up from Bonnie's.

Tucking her arm in the crook of his elbow, they strolled toward the converted house that served as the reception hall for all formal events in Mystic Falls.

They hadn't gone three steps, though, when Elena had that same feeling of being watched. Glancing quickly at the woods surrounding them, she saw no one but other students heading from their cars to the house.

But when she turned back to Stefan, she found his eyes fixed on a spot above her head, his eyes focused and intense. Following his gaze, she saw nothing but trees and darkness.

"Is something wrong?" She asked quietly. He must have realized someone was out there, too.

But whatever had stolen his focus was brushed away with a brilliant smile.

"Of course not. Everything's perfect. Especially you."

She smiled in return, but despite his words she couldn't help notice that he drew her even closer, unhooking their joined arms to drape his around her waist, pulling her closer to his side. Not that she minded in the least.

Stepping into the beautifully decorated house, they were greeted by a few schoolmates and friends, but remained close to the entrance. Elena couldn't help noticing that Stefan's eyes drifted to the doorway every few seconds.

Her curiosity was solved when Damon and Bonnie entered the house a few minutes later, and Stefan headed toward the couple, Elena in tow.

"Hey Stefan, wanna bet they name me prom king?" Damon joked, while Bonnie rolled her eyes playfully.

Despite the wide grin, Elena noticed the slight tightening around his eyes as he took in Stefan's suddenly serious expression.

_What the heck is going on?_

Elena couldn't help but feel like it had to have something to do with the creepy guy in the street earlier. But then again, she felt like she was overreacting about that, too. I mean, it was probably just some random guy waiting for someone in the street or something, right?

Elena nodded while Bonnie gushed about something to do with dancing the night away, but kept watch on the brothers from the corner of her eye.

They had casually taken a step or two away from the girls, and had their heads bent together, talking quickly and in low tones. It wouldn't seem out of the ordinary to anyone else around them, but because Elena was already in hyper-aware mode, it stuck out like a sore thumb.

She would definitely be asking Stefan about this the first chance she got.

* * *

><p>Despite the constant nagging feeling that something was amiss, the night had been absolutely perfect.<p>

They had danced. Laughed. Enjoyed the company of their friends. And thankfully, avoided Caroline.

And even she couldn't be a catastrophe in Stefan's capable arms as they swept across the dance floor.

But there was just that one small part that continued to bother Elena.

Whenever she questioned Stefan about what he and Damon had discussed earlier, or when she caught his eyes roaming across the room, as if he were looking for something — or someone — he managed to smoothly dodge her questions or change the subject.

His evasive skills were nearly as good as his dancing ones.

But after she caught him exchanging silent glances with Damon for the fourth time, she was determined to get some answers.

"Alright Stefan, what's going on?" She asked once more as they danced together.

"What do you mean?"

"With you and Damon. Something's up. So spill."

To his credit, his acting skills were right up there with the dancing ones, too.

Adopting a confused expression, he replied that he didn't know what she was talking about.

"Oh hey look, there's Tim and Mallory. Let's go say hi," he started heading in that direction.

But Elena kept a good grip on his arm. He turned back to face her.

"You don't want to say hello?"

"No, I want to get some answers." She crossed her arms, more frustrated than she'd ever been with Stefan before. All his sidestepping only made her more and more tuned in that something was wrong.

"I don't know what you're wanting me to tell you. I have no idea what you're talking about," he said plainly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Please don't treat me like I'm a child, Stefan. Come on, let's go for a walk and talk."

She entwined her fingers with his and started to pull him towards the door.

"Uh, you know what. Talking here's good."

Elena paused and turned to face a suddenly smiling Stefan.

Her eyes narrowed.

"So you either don't want to be alone with me…or whatever has you concerned is outside."

Stefan's eyes widened for a moment before he put on a neutral expression. But that split-second of emotion was all the answer she needed.

"Look Stefan, if you can't be honest with me, I'm not sure if I can do this. I've dealt with enough crap in my life that I think I'm entitled to some honesty. So let me know when you want to start telling me what's going on around here."

She steeled herself and turned away from Stefan, shocked by how difficult it was to walk away from him.

But she didn't get very far before his hand reached out and caught her arm.

"You're right. There are some things I need to tell you. But not here," he glanced towards the stairs. "Come on."

Following Stefan up the stairs, she turned back toward the dancing crowd and caught Damon's eyes watching them.

She offered a small smile, which he didn't return.

* * *

><p>Elena sat on the edge of the bed in the empty room they had found and watched Stefan pace back and forth before her. She could still hear the thumping bass of the music from downstairs, as her mind whirled, trying to determine just what the hell was going on.<p>

But despite how difficult it was to not launch into twenty questions, she told herself that she would wait patiently for Stefan to gather his thoughts.

He finally crossed toward the window, resting one forearm against the wall beside it and gazed into the endless dark.

"Elena, please know that no matter what I say, I…I love you." He turned his intense gaze to hers, his eyes almost pleading with her own. "I love you so much."

Elena's chest swelled until it felt like it would burst.

"I-I think I love you too," she whispered, dropping her gaze to her entwined hands in her lap.

She heard him quickly cross the room to kneel before her, using his fingers to gently lift her face to his. Tucking a wayward lock of hair behind her ear, he pressed his lips to hers in a tender kiss.

Which he ended all too quickly for her liking.

"Which is why I have to tell you some things about me. About my family," he said, still keeping his gaze locked with hers.

"Okay," she replied with a furrowed brow.

"Just please try to hear me out. Don't be — scared."

"Scared? Stefan, what's going on?"

He moved to sit beside her, holding her hands within his own.

"Elena, I'm…older than you think."

"Uh, what do you mean? Like you got held back a grade or something?"

Stefan released a short but almost painful laugh.

"No, not like that." He paused, swallowing audibly. "More like I was held back almost 150 times."

Silence.

"Um, what?"

"I'm not 17, Elena. I'm 165 years old."

Elena's expression didn't change as she stared at him. She didn't even blink.

"Elena?"

She shook her head quickly. "I'm sorry, what? I swore you just told me you were 165 years old." She could barely finish the sentence before she broke into slightly hysterical laughter.

Stefan's hands moved to her shoulders, trying to get her to stay focused.

"Elena," he said gently. "That's exactly what I said. I was born in 1846. Right here in Mystic Falls."

His straightforward tone instantly made Elena somber. Everything seemed to fade away except for the dull roaring in her ears. She stared at Stefan until her gaze began to blur. Bringing a hand up to her forehead, she tried to stop the room from suddenly spinning.

"I-I-"

"I know it seems impossible and is a lot to take in, but please don't let this—"

"How?" The quietly spoken question seemed to echo in the room.

Stefan took a deep breath while Elena's eyes searched his own.

"I'm a vampire, but—"

"A vampire."

"—yes, but I don't feed—"

"Feed?" The word came out rather screechy as Elena surged to her feet, the floor tilting on her, causing her to stumble.

Stefan reached out to steady her.

"Elena, please, let's talk about this."

But Elena couldn't hear anything anymore. She shook her head back and forth, muttering the word no to herself, over and over again.

"I have to get out of here," she said more to herself than anyone else. Shaking his hands from her, she rushed to the door. She fumbled with the handle once, twice, before managing to get the door to open.

"Elena, please. Let me explain—"

But she was out the door and down the hallway, grabbing onto the handrail for dear life as she rushed down the stairs.

What was happening? Within five minutes, her entire world shattered. The one thing in her life that she was so certain of, that she depended on like a lifeline, was a lie.

It was like she was living in a nightmare.

She crashed into Damon at the bottom step, who held onto her arms and asked her what was wrong.

She stared straight into his eyes, not hearing his words, and realized he must be the same thing as Stefan.

Twisting free from his grasp, she flew towards the front door, colliding with her classmates but not letting it stop her.

She had to get out of here.

She vaguely heard Damon shouting her name over the music but ignored it as she let the front door slam shut behind her.

And then she ran.

* * *

><p>Thanks so much for reading (and for your patience!). Happy New Year everyone!<p>

Until next time,

Lizzieloo


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the _Vampire Diaries_ or any of its characters.

**AN:** Check out my faster update! Hope you enjoy! And now, without further ado….

**Chapter 12**

Elena gasped, sucking in air to get her lungs to function. Her chest was compressing, like her body was trying to crush itself from within.

It was all wrong.

Tripping over a rock didn't stop her mad dash from the dance. She just knew that she had to get away.

Her one thread of normalcy in her screwed up life had just been instantly severed. She hadn't realized how much she had relied on it — on _him_ — until it had been broken, leaving her empty.

What had she done to deserve such insanity in her life? She couldn't even enjoy something as simple as a dance without her world crumbling down around her.

A stray tree branch caught her dress, holding her hostage momentarily until she tugged hard enough to break free, not caring when she heard the slight ripping sound.

Tears sprung to her eyes but she shook her head, willing them away.

She would not cry.

Elena kept running, only pausing once to remove her insufferable heels, until she reached her neighborhood. She tried not to think. Her mind was a jumbled mess.

How could things have taken such a drastic turn? One moment they were confessing their love for one another, and a minute later, she finds out he's a…vampire.

No. It wasn't possible.

She must be going crazy.

The conversation cycled in her head as she turned down her street.

Vampire.

No way.

Those don't exist. Only in horror films.

Maybe she was in a horror film.

Her life seemed shitty enough to qualify.

Of course the only boy she'd ever loved turned out to be over a century old and belonged in Transylvania.

She found the spare key and turned the key in the lock, leaning heavily against the door as she opened it.

And froze.

Uncle John was sitting on the couch, a beer in hand. And several more scattered on the coffee table before him.

He stared at her, his mouth dropping open in shock.

She mirrored his expression.

_Oh. My. God._

She was dead.

* * *

><p>The moment Elena rushed from the room, Stefan sank to the floor.<p>

That did not go well, to say the least.

He had been holding off on having this conversation for this exact reason.

It ruined everything.

But she deserved to know. He loved her and she loved him.

She was right; she had deserved the truth.

He had been trying to figure out how to tell her since that first day. The words to say, how to say them, how to explain…everything.

But she had caught onto his strange behavior and he knew she wouldn't drop it until he told her.

And it had been a colossal wreck.

He tried to reason that it was better she found out sooner than later though. Especially since _he_ had shown up in Mystic Falls early. She was going to discover the truth soon. He just wished it had gone differently. So very differently.

His brother's figured filled the doorway.

"You told her, didn't you?"

Stefan raised pain-filled eyes.

"I had to."

"Well, it seemed to go swimmingly well."

Stefan snorted and managed to get to his feet.

"I have to go find her."

Damon held out a hand to stop his brother as he tried to pass him.

"Give her a little time. She needs to adjust. Let her try to process it all before you are back in the picture."

"No, I need to fix this now. There's no time."

Damon grabbed his brother's arm and looked him straight in the eye.

"Trust me on this one. Give her some space."

Stefan seemed to physically deflate, realizing his brother was right.

"It's just—I love her, Damon."

Damon smirked. "I know you do, bro. You've been a lovesick puppy for quite a while now."

"But _he's_ here," Stefan muttered to himself as he ran his hands through his hair.

"Yeah, it's about time you tell me what the hell is going on here. What was with this cryptic, 'Stay alert' business when we got here? And who's this guy you're so concerned about. Just why the hell did you come back to Mystic Falls, Stefan?"

He tried to bypass his brother, muttering that he didn't have time for this, but Damon blocked him, shoving him back into the room and shutting the door.

"No. You're going to tell me. Now."

Stefan turned to face his brother and sighed.

"Take a seat. It's a long story."

* * *

><p>It took less than a second for Uncle John's eyes to fill with rage and his lips to press together so hard they turned white.<p>

Terror filled her from head to toe. She was such an idiot. She was so mindlessly distracted that she hadn't even thought about her supposed back story for going to the dance, much less even noticing that his car was sitting in the driveway.

This was going to be bad.

But what followed the fear was numbness.

She almost didn't care. That one flame of happiness in her life had been abruptly extinguished less than an hour ago. What did she have to live for anymore.

She missed the first part of his tirade as she stared at him with tired, empty eyes.

But she didn't miss the first backhand that forced her head around so fast she crashed against the wall.

An explosion of pain burst on the right side of her face but she calmly turned back to face her Uncle, who had never stopped shouting.

Uncle John seemed momentarily stunned by her almost compliant reaction, before it seemed to spur him on further.

Another burst of pain in her left cheek, followed by a hit to her stomach that momentarily took her breath away. Another punch and she couldn't hold herself up anymore, and let herself slide down the wall to the ground.

He leaned over and hit her again, causing her body to sprawl across the floor, where he began kicking her, over and over.

She felt — then watched — as small drops of blood rolled from her busted lip and nose to gather slowly on the floor beneath her.

There was a pause in the blows and she vaguely wondered if it was over.

And then she heard the deafening jingle of his belt buckle in the silent room.

She kept focusing on the slow, steady drops of blood that dripped from her face. The red puddle on the floor continued to grow and she hazily thought about what she'd use to clean it up tomorrow.

The slaps of the leather brought her back to the present, if only momentarily. For each blow her body took, the edges of her vision grew more and more dim.

The last thing she saw was a blurry figure tackling Uncle John away from her.

And then she saw nothing but blackness.

* * *

><p>Eek – hope you guys liked it! Sorry it's a bit on the shorter side – and for the cliffy – but that was honestly the best place to end the chapter. I'll try to get the next one up soon! Probably only a few chapters left before this one wraps up...Happy Saturday!<p>

Until next time,

Lizzieloo


	13. Chapter 13

**AN:** Eek! I'm _so_ sorry for the wait!

**Chapter 13**

Muffled voices reached Elena's ears, talking rapidly in low, urgent tones.

She tried to follow the words, but her mind was too fuzzy to make sense of them. She worked to pry her eyelids open, but they remained sealed shut, heavy as lead.

Summoning all of her strength, she managed to crack them open a sliver, just enough to take in three blurry shapes looming above her. She felt someone holding her head gently and tried to focus on the face bent over her. It was cast in shadows, backlit by a blinding light.

It was saying something…her name, and something else she couldn't make out.

Using all of her concentration, she tried to clear her vision. The person's features slowly come into focus as her eyes adjusted to the brightness.

She gasped softly as she recognized the person. He looked exactly as he had on the last day she'd seen him.

"Jere?"

It made sense. The other two figures were her parents. Because she was dead.

She smiled gently at the thought of being reunited with her family, before she lost consciousness again.

* * *

><p>She awoke again a few moments later when she felt something warm flow into her mouth and run down the side of her face. She coughed as the coppery liquid slid down her throat, the jerky movement sending spasms of pain shooting throughout her body that caused her to fall again into an empty darkness.<p>

* * *

><p>Elena stirred as something warmed her cheek. She blinked blearily as she was met with the soft glow of the sun.<p>

She shifted and realized she was lying on something soft.

Something that did not feel like her own bed.

Bolting upright, her eyes darted around the lavish room, taking in her unfamiliar surroundings as she tried to figure out where exactly she was.

Had she fallen asleep in an antiques shop?

The soft grey comforter on the bed seemed to be the only modern addition to a room that seemed to be plucked straight from another place and time.

From every corner, beautiful antique furniture gleamed at her, from the dark wood of the dresser in the corner to the intricate designs on the legs of the desk to the imposing four-poster bed she was currently laying on.

She noticed she was no longer wearing her dress from the dance, but an oversized tshirt and sweatpants, and vaguely wondered who had changed her clothes.

Her heart began to race as panic set in.

Seriously, where was she?

Her hand flew to her head as she concentrated on retracing her steps. What was the last thing she remembered?

The dance.

Stefan was a vampire.

Had she dreamt that?

It certainly sounded like a dream. She'd much rather believe that.

Had someone drugged her at the dance?

Elena closed her eyes , trying to think.

A flash of Uncle John's booted foot crashing into her side.

Her eyes flew open.

No, it had been true. It had happened.

She had run home in horror, only to find that terror tripled at the sight of Uncle John. He had not been happy to see her, to say the least.

She glanced down at her body.

But if that had happened….why did she feel perfectly fine?

Nothing was sore. Nothing ached.

She inspected her skin for injuries. For marks of any kind.

But her skin was completely blemish-free.

She gasped.

She checked the spot on her arm where Uncle John had burned her with a cigarette.

It was gone.

She checked her stomach for the scar from when he had cut her with a broken plate.

Gone.

She rapidly checked every other spot that had been marred by her Uncle. Constant reminders of his rages.

Every one of her permanent scars was gone. As if they had never happened.

Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as her breathing sped up.

What the hell was going on.

She jumped off the bed when someone knocked on the door, putting it between her and whatever was on the other side of the wooden entry.

A voice she recognized called her name softly.

"Elena? Are you awake? It's Stefan."

Elena's mind whirled. Trying to sort through what was fact and fiction.

She had gone to the dance. Stefan had told her he was a vampire. Uncle John had beat the crap out of her.

These things felt real. She remembered the pain. But if that had happened, why was she completely healed?

She tried to stay calm as panic began to rise within her.

"Elena?" Stefan tried again after a long pause with no response. "Can I come in?"

Elena swallowed loudly, realizing how dry her throat was.

Taking a deep breath, she decided that the only way to get any answers was to allow him to enter the room.

She managed to whisper a yes, although she wasn't sure Stefan could even hear it. She could barely hear the word herself.

But he opened the door slowly and stepped into the room, a glass of water in hand.

Her eyes locked on Stefan before sliding to the cup.

"I thought you might be thirsty," he offered the glass to her.

She managed to nod before slowly moving around the bed and in his direction, transferring the cool glass to her hand and sipping.

She'd never thought water tasted so refreshing as it bathed her scratchy throat in a soothing rinse.

She finished the cup quickly and thanked him, her voice sounding much stronger now.

A thick silence fell between them, neither one quite sure where to begin.

"I guess you probably have some questions," Stefan began, sounding hesitant.

Well that was the understatement of the year.

She set the cup on a small table close to her before turning back to Stefan.

"What happened last night? I'm so confused about what's real and what's not."

Stefan nodded in understanding.

"I can imagine. A lot…a lot happened in the last two days."

Elena's eyes widened.

"Two days?"

Stefan smiled faintly. "Yeah. You've been…recovering…for a while."

"You mean asleep."

"Yes. Asleep." Stefan agreed. "Your body had taken quite a toll." His eyes darted away from her, but not before she caught them tighten in anger.

"So it was real." His eyes met hers again, still darkened with controlled fury. "Uncle John I mean. That happened."

"Yes," Stefan's voice was low. "That was real."

"But how am I okay? There's not a mark on me. And my old scars. Those are gone, too."

Her voice raised as the panic tried to take over again.

"Elena, do you remember what I told you at the dance?" He asked carefully.

Elena inhaled deeply before nodding.

"That…that you're a vampire."

He smiled gently, pleased she didn't rush from the room this time.

"Because of that, my blood contains certain…abilities I guess you could say. It can heal."

Elena put the pieces together, catching at the memory of warm liquid sliding down her throat.

"I drank your blood. And it healed me," she said plainly.

"Yes. You were dying," his voice caught on the last word. "It was the only thing to do to save you. Even with my blood, it took so long for your body to heal itself. That's why you were asleep for so long."

Elena nodded again before a sudden thought streaked across her mind.

"Will I turn into one?" The panic was back again. Oh god, she was going to become a-a-

"No," Stefan said firmly. "You won't become one. You're still human."

The panic fell away instantly and she felt she could breathe again.

"Okay," she said more to herself than him. She drank Stefan's blood. It had healed her completely. And she was still human. Seemed like a win so far.

She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm about all this. If she let herself get worked up about it, she might just have a mental breakdown. No, she needed to pretend like this was all perfectly normal. Because to Stefan, it apparently was. Which brought on the question of his brother…

"So I take it Damon's one, too? A vampire?"

Stefan nodded.

"Does Bonnie know?"

"Well, she does now. She hadn't before the night of the dance. But she strode in here demanding answers and to see you and so we had to explain. I don't think I've ever seen Damon so scared of someone before," he added, grinning.

Elena couldn't help but return the expression. Bonnie on a mission was not someone to be messed with.

"She was also the one to, uh, change your clothes," his hand motioned toward the pajamas she wore. Elena was amused by the faint blush that appeared on his cheeks. Seeing Stefan embarrassed was rare.

"Is she here now?"

"Yeah, she's talking with Damon. She's been fighting both of us to get in here but I reasoned with her. I wanted to explain everything to you first."

Elena nodded and took a soothing breath for what seemed like the hundredth time. Things were being pieced together and she was able to check some questions off her list. That was good. She had enough answers about Stefan to satisfy her for now – enough to move onto what had happened to her uncle after she had blacked out. She felt oddly at ease with this topic, as if she no longer cared about where he had gone or what might have happened to him.

When she voiced her question about his whereabouts, Stefan's eyes hardened but he had no response.

"Stefan? Did he run off? Is he in jail?"

Stefan's response was slow. "He's not in jail. And he did run off, but…"

Elena furrowed her brow. "…But?" She urged him to continue.

"I'm sorry, Elena," he began, his eyes gentle. "I'm sorry if this causes you even more pain. You've lost so many people as is. Yet, I'm not too sorry about it at the same time…"

Elena's eyes widened.

"He's dead, isn't he?"

Stefan nodded. "How do you…um, feel about that?"

Elena's eyes dropped to the floor, trying to sort through her emotions. How did she feel about that? He was her uncle, her family, her blood. She knew she should feel that loss. But at the same time, he was her every waking nightmare. He made her life miserable and seemed to enjoy that fact.

She struggled internally for several long moments, before finally lifting her gaze to meet Stefans'.

"I feel…free. Oh god, does that make me a horrible person?" Elena covered his face with her hands. "I should be sad. A normal person would be sad. But I'm not."

Strong hands pulled her own from her face, tilting her chin up.

"No, that absolutely does not make you a bad person. He was a monster. An absolute monster. No one should miss him or feel sad that he's gone. Okay?"

She nodded slightly, and repeated the word back to him in a whisper.

He moved forward as if to kiss her forehead but paused, then stepped back instead, as if he had thought better of it.

Elena found herself disappointed when he moved away.

"Was it you? Did you do it?" She asked softly.

She felt relief when he shook his head no. She didn't want him to have that on his conscience.

"It wasn't me. I stayed with you. He had already run off when I got to you."

"So it was Damon?"

Stefan shook his head again.

"Elena, there's something else I need to tell you—"

A figure shot past Stefan and collided with Elena, interrupting them.

"You're awake! Oh my God I'm so glad you're okay!"

Bonnie squeezed her best friend tightly before dropping her arms quickly and stepping away.

"Oh I'm so sorry! You're probably sore and hurting and here I am trying to squeeze the life out of you all over again."

Stefan coughed, clearly unsettled by Bonnie's casual reference to her almost death, but Elena just smiled, trying to ease her friend's worry.

"I'm perfectly fine. Better than fine, see?"

She spun in a circle for her friend, trying to show that she was all healed.

"That's so amazing," Bonnie gushed. "I-god, Elena, I thought you were going to die," her eyes began to fill with tears. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I've never been so scared in my life."

Elena pulled Bonnie into a fierce hug, holding her close.

"It's over. It's over." Elena repeated those words softly, trying to make them seem real to herself.

She knew it hadn't hit her yet, that part of her still imagined that at the end of the day, she'd have to return to that awful house with her uncle.

But those years of terror and pain were finally over. She could move forward, live her life.

But where would she go? Where could she go? And how would they explain Uncle John missing? Where was his body? And Stefan….Stefan was a vampire. What would that mean? How would it change things?

Her odd tranquility disappeared in a flash and was replaced with another surge of panic. The familiar bands tightened around her as her breathing sped up rapidly. There wasn't enough oxygen. The room was shrinking, the walls closing in, threatening to crush her.

Her arms dropped from Bonnie as she stumbled backwards. She was suddenly dizzy, the room tilting dangerously. She vaguely heard someone say her name and she tried to focus her gaze on something, anything, but the room fell away from her as she slipped into darkness yet again.

* * *

><p>Gentle hands swept the hair from her face as something cool was draped across her forehead.<p>

Her eyes fluttered as she tried once more to make sense of where she was.

Her eyelids finally complied and opened enough to make out the room. The shapes and colors were familiar.

She was in the same room as before.

Gazing upward, she was met with the concerned eyes of her best friend.

"Welcome back," Bonnie said with a small smile. "You just love to keep me worrying."

Elena's lips flickered into a quick grin.

"You know me, always causing drama." She leaned forward, and with Bonnie's help, got into a seated position. The cool cloth slipped from her forehead to her lap. Elena picked it up, twisting the material with her fingers.

"So I fainted again, huh?"

"Well I think you have a pretty good reason for doing so. Just try not to make a habit of it."

Bonnie's tone was light, but Elena could sense a hint of strain that she tried to mask.

"Where's Stefan?"

Bonnie's eyes flickered toward the closed bedroom door and back to Elena.

"He thought it might be best to give you a little space."

Elena nodded, grateful for the consideration.

"Bonnie, what am I going to do?"

Bonnie leaned across the bed and took Elena's hand.

"Well first off, I'm thinking a shower is in order. Nothing steam and hot water can't fix."

"When did you know about Damon?"

Bonnie sighed, realizing there were going to have this conversation right now.

"Not until the other day. When he explained why Stefan's blood would save you. Once I realized you were going to be okay, I was pissed. I shouted. Might have thrown a few things at his head. But once I cooled down, I listened. No, having a vampire boyfriend might not be ideal. But I…I love him, Elena. That's what matters. I love him. And being a vampire doesn't make him a bad person. Sure he has his faults, like any of us do. But he's trying to be a better person. And he does struggle. Each day is a battle that he wages with himself. But he's trying to be a better person for me. I can't really ask for much more than that."

Elena fell silent, letting Bonnie's words sink in.

"Has he…killed people?"

Even though she was asking about Damon, the answer she was really looking for was about Stefan.

"Yes. He has. He's never wanted to – he never wanted this life – but he's lost control before. He hasn't in a long time, but it's happened. He doesn't…feed…from people anymore. Not since he met me. He's been using blood donations." She smiled wryly. "Even told me he'd be willing to try it Stefan's way. As long as it means getting to be with me."

"Stefan's way?"

Her mind vaguely recalled something about that from the dance.

"Stefan doesn't drink human blood. Just animals. It's not the same – kind of like being on a tofu diet. But they can survive on it."

Elena leaned forward, cupping her head in her hands.

"This is too bizarre."

Bonnie snorted in agreement. "Ain't that the truth. But I decided that Damon was worth it. Once I…accepted what he was, it didn't matter to me. I want to be with Damon," she paused, waiting until Elena lifted her gaze to her own. "Do you want to be with Stefan?"

Her reply was soft, but Elena knew it to be true.

"Yes."

* * *

><p>I am soooo very sorry for the wait! I don't even know where the time went, but I was not about to let a year - a whole freaking year! - pass without an update (just a few weeks short of one though, lol). I have the next chapter pretty mapped out so I <em>promise<em> you will not have to go too long without another update - I swear! Hope you enjoyed the chapter though!

Until next time,

Lizzieloo


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